The Federal Government has confirmed the first case of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, prompting an emergency public health response and contact tracing involving 44 people.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, saying the confirmed case involved a woman who arrived in Nigeria on an international flight from Uganda. 
According to Pate, the woman was admitted to a private hospital in the FCT, where laboratory tests confirmed that she had contracted the virus.
She is currently in isolation and receiving medical treatment, while the Federal Ministry of Health, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and the FCT Health Services Secretariat have intensified surveillance and supported the hospital in strengthening infection prevention and control measures.
The minister said public health authorities had commenced monitoring of the woman’s close contacts, including healthcare workers, caregivers and fellow travel contacts.
He added that all public and private health facilities nationwide had been directed to remain on high alert, promptly identify and isolate suspected cases, and immediately report them to the appropriate health authorities.
Pate urged Nigerians to maintain proper hand hygiene and avoid contact with the blood or other body fluids of suspected or confirmed cases.
He also advised citizens to seek medical attention if they develop symptoms associated with Ebola, including fever, severe weakness, headache, vomiting and diarrhoea, particularly if they have a history of exposure or recent travel.
The minister assured Nigerians that the government was taking all necessary measures to contain the infection, stressing that Nigeria had significant experience in managing Ebola following the country’s successful response to the 2014 outbreak.
He urged the public to remain calm, vigilant and rely on information from official health authorities rather than unverified reports.
