FG steps up monitoring, screening as Mpox cases hit 39

In response to the ongoing Monkeypox (mpox) outbreak, the Federal Government of Nigeria has intensified monitoring and screening procedures at all entry points into the country.

This move is part of a broader effort to curb the spread of the disease and protect public health.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Pate, announced the heightened measures in a statement released on Thursday by his Special Adviser on Media and External Relations, Tashikalmah Hallah. The statement underscores the government’s commitment to preventing further transmission of the virus within Nigeria.

According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), there have been 39 confirmed cases of mpox reported across 33 states and the Federal Capital Territory since the beginning of 2024. Fortunately, no deaths have been recorded so far.

The increased vigilance at entry points includes enhanced screening of travelers, as well as the monitoring of potential symptoms associated with mpox. These steps are crucial in identifying and isolating cases early, thereby preventing the virus from spreading further within the population.

The government’s actions are part of a comprehensive public health strategy aimed at controlling the outbreak. Health authorities are also working closely with international partners and local stakeholders to ensure that the response is swift and effective.

The public is urged to remain vigilant, adhere to health guidelines, and report any suspected cases to the nearest health facility. The government continues to emphasize the importance of hygiene and safety measures in reducing the risk of infection.

“The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Pate, emphasised that the country has intensified monitoring and screening procedures at all entry points in response to the threat of Mpox, Clade 1,” the SA said in the Thursday statement.

The statement quoted the minister as noting that the NCDC and the Nigeria Ports Health Services, under the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, had been taking steps to fortify Nigeria’s defences before the declaration of mpox as a public health emergency.

“This Mpox Clade 1 strain has caused fatalities in up to 10 per cent of individuals who have fallen ill in previous outbreaks. He added that the aim is to tackle and mitigate its impact by deploying measures similar to those used during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Pate noted.

He further explained that the government had implemented a new mandate requiring all travellers to complete an online health declaration form before departing for the country.

“This measure is being introduced alongside the activation of infectious disease centres in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory,” he added.

The minister also advised the public to practise good hygiene, frequent hand washing with soap and water, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, especially after contact with an infected person or animal.

The Africa Centre for Disease Control had on Tuesday declared a public health emergency over the growing mpox outbreak on the continent.

The outbreak has swept through several African countries, particularly the Democratic Republic of Congo.

There is a serious and growing outbreak in the DCR that has now expanded outside the country.

A new viral strain, which first emerged in September 2023, has, for the first time been detected outside DRC.

The World Health Organisation stressed that the emergence last year and rapid spread of a new virus strain in DRC, clade 1b, which appears to be spreading mainly through sexual networks, and its detection in countries neighbouring the DRC are especially concerning, and one of the main reasons for the declaration of the PHEIC.

So far, about 2,863 confirmed mpox cases and 517 deaths across 13 African countries have been reported in 2024 alone.

Mpox is a rare viral zoonotic infectious disease (i.e., disease of animals transmitted from animals to humans) that is endemic in several African countries including the tropical rainforests of Central and West Africa.

The exact reservoir of the virus is still unknown, although rodents, squirrels,s and monkeys are suspected to play a part in transmission.

Meanwhile, the Rivers State Government, on Thursday, presented 46 motorcycles to tuberculosis supervisors and their deputies in the 23 local councils of the state in order to speed up the tracking and treatment of the notorious infection.

The state said the gesture was in collaboration with its partners including the Federal Ministry of Health.

The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Adaeze Oreh, while presenting the motorcycles to the health officials in Port Harcourt on Thursday, said it was to enable them to reach the hard-to-reach areas of the state and ultimately free the state from Tuberculosis.

She stated, “Tuberculosis is one of those notorious infections that have been ravaging countries across the world, especially low and middle-income countries such as Nigeria.

“In partnership with the Federal Ministry of Health, the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme with immense support from the Global Fund, we are here gathered with these 46 motorcycles which will be supported for the 23 local government areas TB supervisors and their deputies.

“We know that at the forefront of tackling this deadly infectious disease is active community surveillance. And these motorcycles will enable the TB Supervisors and the Deputies to go into the nook and crannies of our communities to identify those who may be infected and put them on the treatment that they need,” the health commissioner said.