Ebola: Patient arrives Switzerland, contact tracing continues

 

The Swiss authorities have confirmed the safe arrival of Nigeria’s Ebola index patient and her spouse in Switzerland, with the patient receiving treatment at Geneva University Hospitals and her husband placed in isolation at University Hospital Zurich.

The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Ali Pate, disclosed this in an update posted on his official X handle on Monday evening, adding that contact monitoring, investigation of alerts and other containment measures were continuing in Nigeria.

“The Swiss authorities have confirmed that the patient and her spouse arrived safely in Switzerland today,” Pate stated.

He said the patient was receiving care at Geneva University Hospitals, while her husband was being isolated at University Hospital Zurich.

The minister also disclosed that Switzerland had expressed appreciation for the medical care provided by Nigerian health professionals and the cooperation between both countries and the World Health Organisation that facilitated the evacuation.

“In our telephone conversation, Federal Councillor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider conveyed Switzerland’s appreciation for the care provided by Nigerian health professionals and the close cooperation between our authorities and WHO that made the evacuation possible,” he said.

Pate thanked the clinical and public health teams in Nigeria and Switzerland, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health, the Swiss Federal Department of Home Affairs and the WHO for their collaboration.

He also wished the patient a continued recovery, while assuring Nigerians that the government’s response to the imported infection remained active.

“Here in Nigeria, contact monitoring, investigation of alerts and other containment measures continue, with support from Africa CDC and WHO AFRO. We will provide regular updates through NCDC and the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare,” the minister added.

The update followed an earlier announcement by the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Mohamed Janabi, that Nigeria had no active Ebola cases following the evacuation of the patient and her husband to Switzerland.

Janabi said Nigeria would continue monitoring 52 identified contacts, while Swiss authorities would take responsibility for the patient’s further treatment and the follow-up of her husband, identified as contact number 53.

“With the evacuation of the patient and her husband, Nigeria currently has no Ebola cases,” the WHO regional director said.

He, however, stressed that continued vigilance was essential, noting that the absence of active cases did not eliminate the need for surveillance and contact tracing.

Earlier on Monday, Pate confirmed that the evacuation had been carried out with his approval, explaining that the patient’s condition had improved considerably before she left Abuja.