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Health advisories

Public health alerts and updates for Nigeria and Africa, summarised from official bodies. Each summary links to the original, which is the authority.

For instructions in Nigeria, follow NCDC. It is the national authority. CDC notices are written for travellers, and the WHO, Africa CDC and UNICEF items give regional context.

Last reviewed . Next review due .

Latest on Ebola in Nigeria

Current position

Issued by
NCDC
Published
Reviewed by us
Type
Situation report
Status at our review
Active
Covers
Nigeria: Federal Capital Territory

Ebola disease outbreak in Nigeria

NCDC’s outbreak dashboard reports one confirmed case and no deaths, with the national risk level set at high. Of 62 contacts identified, 10 were still in their 21-day follow-up and 52 had completed it. The FCT is the only state or territory with a confirmed case.

Guidance

  • If you have symptoms and may have been exposed, isolate yourself and avoid contact with others.
  • Call the NCDC toll-free line 6232 immediately.
  • Do not travel to a clinic by public transport without calling first.
  • Symptoms include fever, severe headache, muscle pain and weakness, vomiting and diarrhoea, and unexplained bleeding.

See the live NCDC Ebola dashboard

Issued by
WHO
Published
Reviewed by us
Type
Situation report
Status at our review
Active
Covers
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya and Nigeria

Ebola disease caused by Bundibugyo virus - Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya and Nigeria

WHO reports that the patient confirmed in Nigeria was medically evacuated, and is in isolation and receiving care in Geneva, Switzerland. Switzerland reported the evacuation on 26 October. No new cases had been reported from Nigeria or Kenya since WHO’s previous update. As of 3 November, the DRC had 10,668 confirmed cases, including 5,198 deaths, and Kenya had nine confirmed cases, including two deaths.

Guidance

  • WHO advises against any restriction of travel to, or trade with, countries responding to the outbreak.
  • For health authorities: maintain surveillance, cross-border preparedness, and infection prevention and control.

Read the original at WHO

Earlier updates on the Nigerian case

Kept for the record. Details in these have been overtaken by the two items above.

Issued by
NCDC
Published
Reviewed by us
Type
Official statement
Status at our review
Earlier update
Covers
Nigeria: Adamawa State and the FCT

NCDC working with Adamawa State to investigate suspected Ebola disease cases

Two people in Yola with symptoms that raised suspicion of Ebola were isolated. Their samples tested negative after two rounds of testing. NCDC said the FCT case remained the only confirmed case in Nigeria at that date.

Guidance

  • Stay calm and do not share unverified information.
  • Rely on official channels for updates.
  • Seek medical care immediately for fever, severe weakness, headache, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhoea or unexplained bleeding.
  • Do not self-medicate.

Read the original at NCDC

Issued by
NCDC
Published
Reviewed by us
Type
Official statement
Status at our review
Earlier update
Covers
Nigeria: Federal Capital Territory

Update on Nigeria’s Ebola disease response

The patient’s situation has changed since this statement. WHO reports the patient was later evacuated to Switzerland.

At that date NCDC reported one confirmed case of Ebola (Bundibugyo virus), with the patient receiving care in isolation. A national Incident Management System was coordinating contact tracing with 21-day follow-up, infection prevention, surveillance and public information.

Guidance

  • Cooperate with contact-tracing teams and give accurate information.
  • Report any possible exposure promptly.
  • Wash your hands regularly.
  • Avoid contact with blood or body fluids.
  • Do not stigmatise patients or health workers.

Read the original at NCDC

Issued by
WHO
Published
Reviewed by us
Type
News release
Status at our review
Earlier update
Covers
Nigeria: Federal Capital Territory

Nigeria confirms imported case of Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease

The contact figure has been superseded. NCDC’s dashboard gives 62 contacts as of 11 November.

The patient had travelled to Uganda, and laboratory confirmation came on 20 October. The Federal Ministry of Health reported 44 contacts under monitoring at that date. The outbreak was declared in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on 15 May 2026.

Guidance

  • For health authorities: keep surveillance strong, investigate alerts, and reinforce infection prevention in public and private health facilities.
  • Strengthen monitoring at points of entry and work with communities.

Read the original at WHO

Other current items

Regional updates, travel notices and background reports that were still current at our review. They are not instructions from Nigerian authorities.

Ebola in the region

Issued by
Africa CDC
Published
Reviewed by us
Type
Official statement
Status at our review
Active
Covers
Kenya, with the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Africa CDC Stands with Kenya, Calls for Lifting of Unjustified Ebola Travel Restrictions

Kenya reported nine confirmed Bundibugyo cases, including two deaths, all linked to one imported case, with no new confirmed case since 19 October 2026. Africa CDC declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security on 18 May 2026.

Guidance

  • Use targeted measures for confirmed cases, suspected cases and contacts, not broad travel restrictions.
  • Keep surveillance, screening, contact tracing, isolation and cross-border cooperation in place.

Read the original at Africa CDC

Issued by
CDC
Published
Reviewed by us
Type
Travel notice
Status at our review
Active
Covers
Democratic Republic of the Congo: Ituri and Nord-Kivu
Notice level
Level 4, Avoid All Travel

Ebola Bundibugyo Virus Disease in Ituri and Nord-Kivu Provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

This is the highest of four CDC travel notices on the outbreak. CDC also lists Level 3 for Haut-Uélé and Tshopo provinces, Level 2 for the rest of the DRC and Uganda (updated 28 August 2026), and Level 1 for Kenya (19 October 2026).

Guidance for travellers

  • Avoid all travel to Ituri and Nord-Kivu unless for humanitarian aid or emergency response.
  • Avoid non-essential travel to Haut-Uélé and Tshopo.
  • Check the notice for your destination before travelling.

Read the original at CDC

Issued by
UNICEF
Published
Reviewed by us
Type
Background update
Status at our review
Active
Covers
Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo

Fast facts: Ebola’s toll on children six months into the outbreak and response

As of 4 November, 2,959 children under 18 had been confirmed with Ebola and 1,737 had died. Children make up 28 per cent of confirmed cases and 35 per cent of deaths. Routine births in health facilities and measles vaccination have fallen in affected areas.

What UNICEF is calling for

  • High-quality care for children in Ebola treatment centres.
  • Protection for health workers.
  • A scaled-up and sustained response.

Read the original at UNICEF

El Niño and health

El Niño is a natural warming of the Pacific Ocean that shifts weather patterns worldwide. It does not by itself cause any particular disease or emergency. Its health effects vary from place to place and depend on the local weather that follows.

Issued by
WMO
Published
Reviewed by us
Type
Climate update
Status at our review
Active
Covers
Global. It gives no forecast specific to Nigeria or West Africa.

El Niño/La Niña Update (August 2026)

The World Meteorological Organization says El Niño is firmly established, with a near 100 per cent likelihood of persisting through February 2027, and expects it to become very strong towards the end of 2026. The United States climate agency NOAA still had an El Niño Advisory in effect on 12 November 2026 and expects El Niño to begin weakening in early 2027.

What is confirmed, and what is not

  • Confirmed: El Niño is present and strengthening.
  • Not confirmed: any health impact in Nigeria linked to it. At our review we found no El Niño item on NCDC’s advisory page, and we could not obtain a statement from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet).
  • WMO says the strength of an event does not translate directly into the size of its impacts in any region, and that not all regions are affected.

Read the original at WMO
NOAA’s current El Niño status
NiMet, for forecasts in your state

Issued by
WHO
Published
Reviewed by us
Type
Fact sheet
Status at our review
Background guidance
Covers
Global, with the strongest effects in the tropics, including parts of Africa

El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO)

WHO says El Niño can affect health through food security, water and air quality, and changed patterns of mosquito-borne, rodent-borne and waterborne diseases. It also says these links are “not linear or unequivocal” and depend on the strength of the event, the time of year and other factors. For Africa, WHO lists drier conditions in southern Africa and some areas of the Sahel, and wetter conditions in equatorial East Africa, as common influences.

Practical steps for possible risks

  • Follow weather forecasts and early warnings for your area, and act on them early. WHO says early warning and early action reduce the impact of extreme weather.
  • If rain fails or water runs short, keep drinking water safe and keep washing hands with soap.
  • After heavy rain or flooding, the cholera prevention steps further down this page matter most: safe water, handwashing and safe sanitation.
  • Changes in rainfall can create new mosquito breeding sites. Clear standing water around your home.
  • Seek care early for fever or diarrhoea. In Nigeria, call NCDC on 6232.

Read the original at WHO

Cholera, water and sanitation

Issued by
WHO
Published
Reviewed by us
Type
Background update
Status at our review
Active
Covers
Nigeria: Borno State, with Adamawa, Bauchi and Yobe

Bringing lifesaving cholera care closer to communities in Borno State

This is a feature story, not a formal alert. We found no dated NCDC cholera advisory at our review. Check NCDC for current figures.

A cholera outbreak in Borno began in May 2026. WHO reports, citing NCDC, 68,152 suspected cases and 394 deaths in the state to the end of September 2026. Cases have declined but remain a significant share of the national total.

Guidance

  • Seek treatment early. Cholera is treatable with prompt rehydration.
  • Make drinking water safe before use.
  • Keep up handwashing and sanitation in high-risk communities.

Read the original at WHO

Issued by
UNICEF
Published
Reviewed by us
Type
Background update
Status at our review
Active
Covers
23 countries and territories, including Sudan, Burkina Faso, Chad and the DRC

Reported attacks damaging water systems in conflict triple as children lose access to safe water

UNICEF’s report Water Under Fire, Volume 4, finds that reported attacks on water and sanitation systems in conflict rose threefold between 2021 and 2025. UNICEF says 137.9 million people need water, sanitation and hygiene assistance, and 26 per cent of the funding required for 2026 has been received.

What UNICEF is calling for

  • Protection of water and sanitation systems as essential to civilian survival.
  • Safe, unimpeded humanitarian access.
  • Investment in water services that keep running during conflict.

Read the original at UNICEF

Polio, diphtheria and yellow fever

Issued by
CDC
Published
Reviewed by us
Type
Travel notice
Status at our review
Active
Covers
Many countries, including Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Cameroon and Benin
Notice level
Level 2, Practice Enhanced Precautions

Global Polio

Poliovirus is circulating in a number of countries. CDC lists this notice on its page for Nigeria.

Guidance for travellers

  • Make sure polio vaccinations are up to date before any international travel.

Read the original at CDC

Issued by
CDC
Published
Reviewed by us
Type
Travel notice
Status at our review
Active
Covers
Chad, Guinea, Niger, Nigeria, Mali, Mauritania, Somalia and Senegal
Notice level
Level 1, Practice Usual Precautions

Diphtheria in Sub-Saharan Africa

Diphtheria outbreaks are reported in several African countries, including Nigeria.

Guidance for travellers

  • Vaccination against diphtheria is essential. Check that you are up to date before travelling.

Read the original at CDC

Issued by
CDC
Published
Reviewed by us
Type
Travel notice
Status at our review
Active
Covers
Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana
Notice level
Level 2, Practice Enhanced Precautions

Yellow Fever in Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, and Ghana

Yellow fever outbreaks are reported in specific regions of these three West African countries.

Guidance for travellers

  • Get the yellow fever vaccine at least 10 days before travelling there.
  • Take steps to prevent mosquito bites.

Read the original at CDC

Archive

Issued earlier in 2026 and not current alerts. The meningitis and Lassa fever items were written for the last dry season. At our review we found no newer NCDC advisory for the coming season, so check NCDC before relying on them.

Issued by
NCDC
Published
Reviewed by us
Type
Official advisory
Status at our review
Archived: 2025 to 2026 dry season
Covers
Nigeria: states in the African meningitis belt

Public Health Advisory on Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM)

NCDC warned of the seasonal risk of meningitis during the dry season, which it gives as December to April.

Guidance

  • Fever with neck stiffness, confusion or seizures needs immediate care at a health facility.
  • Do not assume fever and headache in the dry season is malaria.
  • Avoid overcrowding and keep rooms ventilated.
  • Do not share drinking cups.
  • Take up vaccination when it is offered.

Read the original at NCDC

Issued by
NCDC
Published
Reviewed by us
Type
Official statement
Status at our review
Archived: 2025 to 2026 dry season
Covers
Nigeria: 18 states at that date, with Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba, Edo and Benue most affected

NCDC Calls for Strengthened State-Level Action as Lassa Fever Cases Rise During Peak Season

As of epidemiological week 8 of 2026, 18 states and 67 local government areas were affected, with five states accounting for over 80 per cent of confirmed cases. NCDC gives the peak season as November to April.

Guidance

  • Keep homes and markets clean and block the ways rodents get in.
  • Store food in sealed containers and do not dry food on the ground.
  • Seek care early at a health facility and do not self-medicate.
  • Call your State Ministry of Health hotline or NCDC on 6232.

Read the original at NCDC

Issued by
UNICEF, Gavi and WHO
Published
Reviewed by us
Type
Background update
Status at our review
Archived
Covers
Global, starting in Mozambique, the DRC and Bangladesh

Preventive cholera vaccination resumes as global supply reaches critical milestone

Global supply of oral cholera vaccine reached a level that allows preventive campaigns to resume after more than three years, with a first allocation of 20 million doses.

Key point

  • Vaccination must be paired with long-term investment in safe water, sanitation and hygiene.

Read the original at UNICEF

Prevention and safety

Wash your hands

From CDC, About Handwashing, dated 16 February 2024.

  1. Wet your hands with clean running water and apply soap.
  2. Lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers and under your nails.
  3. Scrub for at least 20 seconds.
  4. Rinse well under clean running water.
  5. Dry with a clean towel or air dry.

Wash before preparing food and eating, after using the toilet, after changing a child, and before and after caring for someone who is sick. If there is no soap and water, use a hand sanitizer with at least 60 per cent alcohol.

Read the original at CDC
Download our hand hygiene leaflet (PDF, 256 KB)

Prevent cholera

From WHO, Cholera fact sheet, dated 29 September 2026.

  • Use safe water for drinking and cooking.
  • Wash hands with soap.
  • Handle and store food and water safely.
  • Dispose of faeces safely. Use a toilet or latrine.
  • Know where to report cases and seek treatment. Most cases are treated with oral rehydration solution.
  • Oral cholera vaccine helps prevent and control cholera where it is offered.

Read the original at WHO

Official sources

We are not a health authority. We summarise what these bodies publish and link to the original each time. If you are unwell, go to a health facility or call NCDC.

NCDC toll-free call centre
6232
NCDC by SMS
0809 955 5577
NCDC on WhatsApp
0708 711 0839