The Federal Government has confirmed a case of Ebola disease in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), thus raising fresh public health concerns as authorities begin tracing 44 people who may have been exposed to the infection.

The patient, a woman who recently arrived in Nigeria on an international flight from Uganda, was admitted to a private hospital in the FCT, where she received treatment for several days before laboratory tests confirmed the disease on Tuesday, October 20, 2026.

The Federal Government said the woman had been placed in isolation and was receiving medical care, while public health authorities intensified surveillance and contact tracing to prevent further transmission.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Ali Pate, at a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, however, assured Nigerians that the government was working with the FCT authorities and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) to contain the infection.

The minister said the 44 identified close contacts included people whose exposure may have occurred through healthcare interactions, as well as healthcare workers, patients, caregivers and travel contacts.

He told journalists that public health teams had commenced efforts to identify and monitor individuals who may have come into contact with the patient.

“Similarly, the hospital where the woman received treatment is also receiving immediate support to strengthen infection prevention and control measures,” he said.

The government called on public and private healthcare facilities across the country to remain on high alert, urging health workers to maintain a high index of suspicion, promptly identify and isolate suspected cases, and immediately report them to public health authorities.

It also stressed the need for strict adherence to infection prevention and control procedures in healthcare facilities.

Explaining how the disease spreads, the minister said Ebola is transmitted through direct contact with the blood or body fluids of an infected person who is sick or has died from the disease, or through contact with contaminated materials.

He added that an infected person cannot transmit the disease before symptoms begin. “Nigerians are advised to remain calm but vigilant, practise regular hand hygiene and avoid contact with the body fluids of anyone suspected to have Ebola,” he said.

The minister also urged citizens to watch out for symptoms such as fever, severe weakness, headache, vomiting and diarrhoea, particularly following possible exposure. “Those who suspect they may have been exposed are advised to report immediately to public health authorities, even if they were not experiencing symptoms.”

“Also, anyone who develops symptoms should avoid close contact with others and contact public health authorities for guidance before visiting a healthcare facility,” he added.

The minister further urged people contacted during the tracing exercise, including relevant airline passengers, to cooperate with health officials, provide necessary information and comply with public health advice.

The Ondo chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) says the state lost about 400 doctors to migration and other forms of workforce attrition in the last five years, leaving about 500 doctors in public health institutions across the state.

Roland Arohunmolase, NMA chairman in Ondo, disclosed this in Akure on Monday during activities marking the 2026 Physicians’ Week, themed “Securing the Future of Medicine in Nigeria”.

Speaking on behalf of Afekhide Omoti, NMA national president, Arohunmolase said the shortage had increased the workload on remaining doctors and raised concerns about the quality of healthcare available to residents.

“As of today, we barely have 500 doctors across state and federal government health establishments in Ondo state, excluding the private sector. Based on the records available to me, we have about 500 doctors,” Arohunmolase said.

He said the number of doctors in the state’s healthcare system previously stood at about 900 to 1,000, but approximately 400 had since left.

Arohunmolase appealed to the state government to introduce measures to attract and retain medical professionals, including better remuneration and improved working conditions.

He said such efforts would help reduce burnout among doctors and other healthcare workers who have to cope with the demands of an understaffed health system.

Arohunmolase also linked medical tourism among wealthy Nigerians to inadequate infrastructure and shortages of essential equipment in the country’s hospitals.

“I believe they go abroad because they themselves know the inadequacies that exist within our system,” he said, arguing that the failure to provide essential equipment and modern medical technology had undermined public confidence in local healthcare services.

“The challenge is not necessarily the competence of our doctors but the inadequacies within the healthcare system. These shortcomings undermine public confidence and encourage people, particularly politicians, to continue seeking medical treatment overseas.”

Arohunmolase also called for increased government investment in healthcare.

He noted that increased funding was necessary to improve hospital infrastructure, provide essential equipment, strengthen working conditions and offer competitive remuneration to medical professionals.

Doctors in the service of the Kwara State Government on Thursday commenced a seven-day warning strike over alleged salary deductions for the state’s health insurance scheme.

Their grievances also include alleged unpaid allowances, staffing shortages and other unresolved welfare concerns.

The industrial action involves members of the Kwara Doctors Forum, comprising the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN), the National Association of Government General Medical and Practitioners (NAGGMDP) and the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), KWASUTH.

Speaking at a news conference in Ilorin, MDCAN Chairman, Dr Adeola Olasinde, said the strike followed the expiration of a 14-day ultimatum issued to the state government, which ended on October 14.

He said the decision was reached at the forum’s congress on October 14 after the government failed to address the doctors’ demands, including the sudden deduction of two per cent of their salaries for the Kwara Health Insurance Scheme (KHIS), also known as KwaraCare.

Olasinde demanded an immediate reversal of the deduction, payment of approved accoutrement allowance arrears for 2025 and 2026, and implementation of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS), the salary scale for medical and dental practitioners in government service.

The doctors also called for the recruitment of house officers, medical officers, resident doctors and consultants across public health facilities to address staffing gaps.

Other demands include the renovation of officers’ quarters in teaching hospitals and the establishment of the Governing Board of the Kwara State University Teaching Hospital (KWASUTH) in accordance with its enabling law.

Clarifying their position on the health insurance scheme, Olasinde said the doctors were not opposed to health insurance or efforts to expand access to affordable healthcare.

But he insisted that the scheme must operate transparently and with the confidence of contributors.

He said the deductions, introduced without prior agreement or satisfactory clarification on the management of the funds, had raised serious concerns among the doctors.

“The management of public health insurance funds must be subject to clearly defined institutional controls and collective oversight.

“There should also be transparent financial procedures, independent audit and appropriate legislative and regulatory supervision,” he said.

Olasinde called for the involvement of relevant stakeholders in the formulation, governance, monitoring and periodic review of the scheme, saying workers’ contributions must translate into accessible and quality healthcare.

He apologised to patients and members of the public for the inconvenience the strike might cause.

He described the action as a reluctant decision taken after dialogue failed to resolve the dispute.

“The warning strike is not our preferred course of action but is adopted reluctantly after dialogue failed,” he said.

The MDCAN chairman appealed to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and other relevant authorities to intervene urgently and address the doctors’ demands.

However, the Medical Director of KWASUTH, Dr Ahmed Abdul-Qadir, appealed to the striking doctors to return to work.

He warned that prolonged disruption could expose patients to avoidable risks.

Abdul-Qadir said the hospital was operating at full capacity, with critically ill patients in its wards and Intensive Care Unit, including women who had recently undergone surgery.

He described the situation as unfortunate and urged the medical associations to resolve the dispute quickly in the interest of patients.

The medical director expressed confidence in the state government’s commitment to workers’ welfare, particularly in the health sector, and appealed to the doctors to resume duty to ensure uninterrupted healthcare delivery.