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Health Review: Ebola case, child malnutrition, medicine security, other developments that shaped October
October brought major developments across Nigeria’s health sector, with the confirmation of an Ebola case in Abuja prompting renewed disease surveillance, contact tracing and emergency response measures.
The month also saw growing concerns over Nigeria’s dependence on imported pharmaceutical ingredients, child malnutrition and challenges affecting maternal and child healthcare.
Beyond Nigeria, the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continued to raise concerns about regional health security.
PREMIUM TIMES reviews some of the major health developments that shaped October.
Nigeria confirms first Ebola case in over a decade
Nigeria confirmed its first Ebola case since 2014 on 20 October, involving a 42-year-old Ugandan-born woman living in Abuja who recently returned from Uganda.
The confirmation prompted contact tracing, heightened surveillance and infection prevention measures across healthcare facilities.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) initially identified 44 close contacts, with the number increasing as investigations continued.
Ebola patient evacuated to Switzerland
Nigeria’s confirmed Ebola patient and her husband were medically evacuated to Switzerland on 26 October after the patient received treatment in isolation in Abuja.
The patient was transferred to Geneva University Hospitals, while her husband was placed in isolation at University Hospital Zurich.
Following the evacuation, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said Nigeria had no active confirmed Ebola case, although surveillance and monitoring of exposed contacts continued.
NCDC expands health declarations for international travellers
The NCDC expanded the health declaration requirement to all international travellers after confirming Ebola in Abuja.
The agency said the measure was intended to strengthen screening at points of entry and support the early identification of potential infections.
It also urged healthcare facilities to isolate suspected cases promptly and strengthen infection prevention measures.
Suspected Ebola cases in Adamawa test negative
Two suspected Ebola cases identified in Adamawa State tested negative after two rounds of laboratory testing, the NCDC announced on 31 October.
The suspected cases involved a 34-year-old pilot and his wife, a medical doctor, who were admitted to an isolation facility at the Modibbo Adama University Teaching Hospital in Yola after developing symptoms suggestive of Ebola.
The agency said the Abuja case remained Nigeria’s only laboratory-confirmed Ebola infection during the outbreak.
FG clarifies N10 billion emergency disease response funding
The NCDC said the N10 billion emergency intervention fund approved by the federal government was intended to strengthen preparedness and response to Ebola, Lassa fever and other emerging infectious diseases.
The agency explained that the funding would support surveillance, laboratory diagnosis, protective equipment, emergency operations and rehabilitation of isolation facilities.
The clarification came amid questions over how the emergency allocation was being utilised following the confirmation of Ebola in Abuja.
Child malnutrition admissions rise in North-east
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reported an 18 per cent increase in malnutrition admissions at 10 supported health facilities in North-east Nigeria.
The facilities recorded nearly 20,000 admissions between January and September 2026, compared with about 17,000 during the same period in 2025.
Children, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers were among those most affected, highlighting the continuing impact of insecurity and food shortages on vulnerable communities.
FG partners US foundation to mobilise $1 billion against malnutrition
The federal government announced a partnership with the US-based Operation End Starvation initiative to mobilise more than $1 billion to address child malnutrition and starvation-related deaths across sub-Saharan Africa.
Nigeria was identified as a priority country under the initiative, which aims to mobilise funding over two years.
The government said the partnership would complement existing interventions addressing hunger and acute malnutrition among children, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers.
Imported drug ingredients raise medicine security concerns
Health and pharmaceutical stakeholders warned that Nigeria’s dependence on imported active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) could undermine medicine security and expose the country to global supply disruptions.
At a meeting organised by Nigeria Health Watch in partnership with the World Bank Group, stakeholders called for increased domestic production of essential pharmaceutical ingredients.
They identified inadequate infrastructure, unreliable electricity, financing constraints and regulatory challenges as major barriers to local manufacturing.
WHO warns of widespread undiagnosed diabetes in Africa
The WHO raised concerns over the growing diabetes burden in Africa, warning that about 75 per cent of people living with the condition in the region remain undiagnosed.
The organisation said an estimated 24.6 million adults aged between 20 and 79 were living with diabetes in the African region.
The findings renewed concerns about limited screening, delayed diagnosis and access to treatment for non-communicable diseases.
Ebola outbreak worsens in DR Congo
The Ebola outbreak in the DRC continued to spread during October, with confirmed cases surpassing 10,000 and deaths approaching 5,000.
The WHO reported 10,274 confirmed cases and 4,992 deaths in the country as of 28 October.
The outbreak, which also affected other African countries, intensified concerns about cross-border transmission, surveillance capacity and regional preparedness.
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The Social Democratic Party, SDP, in Niger State has accused Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago of prioritising his 2027 re-election ambition over the safety of residents amid rising attacks, kidnappings and killings across the state.
The party alleged that armoured personnel carriers, APCs, purchased by the state government to combat insecurity had remained parked at Government House for over two years instead of being deployed to security agencies.
The accusation followed the alleged abduction of 50 pupils of an Islamic school in Maikujeri, Rafi Local Government Area, on Saturday by gunmen suspected to be bandits.
The pupils were reportedly abducted while working on a farm belonging to one of their teachers, who was also taken away.
In a statement issued in Minna on Monday, Johnathan Vatsa, spokesperson for the SDP governorship candidate Mohammed Ndarani Mohammed, blamed the governor for what he described as the government's failure to adequately equip security agencies.
Vatsa noted that the agencies lacked operational vehicles and other essential equipment to confront armed groups, adding that government responses to attacks had largely been limited to condemnations and condolence messages.
He said, "The current situation has overwhelmed the security agencies because this government has failed to properly equip them. The security agencies in the state lack operational vehicles and other necessary equipment to confront the situation."
The SDP spokesperson specifically questioned why APCs, allegedly purchased by the administration in its early days, had not been released to security agencies.
He claimed the vehicles had remained unused at Government House for more than two years despite persistent attacks on communities.
"Who is he going to campaign to when the people are being killed or kidnapped and many rendered homeless? What are armoured vehicles meant for? Are they meant to protect the governor during campaigns? These important vehicles are bought with taxpayers' money because of the security challenges in the state.
"The governor should release them to the security agencies to enable them to protect innocent villagers. Enough of this killing and kidnapping in the state," he said.
Vatsa also faulted the government's alleged explanation that the vehicles had not been released because security agencies lacked the capacity to maintain them.
"If the government knows that the security agencies cannot maintain these vehicles, then why did you buy them? This excuse amounts to calling a dog a bad name in order to hang it. The governor is prioritising his personal safety over that of the larger population," he added.
The SDP spokesman maintained that the abduction of the pupils and recurring attacks across Niger State could have been prevented if security agencies were adequately equipped.
He urged the governor to release the armoured vehicles and take concrete measures to protect residents rather than focus on political activities ahead of the 2027 elections.
However, responding to the allegations, the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Hon. Obed Nuhu Nana, dismissed claims that the vehicles were being withheld by the state government or reserved for use during the 2027 elections.
The commissioner described the allegations as speculation, insisting that the vehicles were already with the military and under its control.
"The vehicles are already with the military, and they are the ones in control of their deployment and usage. Those alleging that the vehicles are being kept at Government House should provide evidence. They are not at Government House.
"Journalists can also verify this from the Commanding Officer of the Training and Doctrine Command, TRADOC," he insisted.
The commissioner maintained that Governor Bago procured the vehicles long before the current political season, questioning suggestions that they were intended for electoral purposes.
SDP accuses Niger govt of keeping armoured vehicles at Government House amid insecurity
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