The Nigerian Government has ordered the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to establish emergency preparedness and response teams in a bid to contain the rising spread of Mpox across the country. The directives followed the 40 confirmed cases out of 830 suspected cases, raising concerns of further outbreaks. New Telegraph reports that the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) is spearheading efforts to support state governments in setting up these teams.
The Director General of NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, disclosed during a joint briefing with the World Health Organization (WHO) in Abuja on Friday that targeted action plans are being implemented to curb the spread. “Looking at the number of cases, quite a number of them are in about 12 or 13 states. “Our plans now are to target those states to reduce the number of cases through active surveillance,” he said.
Dr. Idris further highlighted the need to strengthen laboratory capabilities across the country, particularly in the South-South and South-East regions, where several cases have been detected. He announced that additional laboratories, including the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) and the African Center for Genomics (ACG), are being integrated into the testing network.
“We need to increase all the laboratory capabilities...
we’ve identified several laboratories we are looking into,” he added. Meanwhile, the United States government has pledged to send doses of Mpox vaccines to Nigeria to aid the containment efforts. This comes amid global challenges in vaccine supply, as confirmed by WHO Country Representative, Dr.
Walter Mulombo, who noted, “The capacity of the current manufacturer cannot meet the global demand unless some kind of intervention is there.” Dr. Mulombo urged Nigeria to remain vigilant despite being categorized as a moderate-risk country, stressing the need for continuous monitoring and preparedness.
He said, “Nigeria is not safe until all countries are safe,” underscoring the global nature of the Mpox threat. The NCDC has also intensified public awareness campaigns, emphasizing the importance of avoiding contact with infected animals or humans to prevent further transmission..
