The Federal Government of Nigeria has ramped up monitoring and screening efforts at all entry points into the country in response to the ongoing Mpox outbreak.
This move comes after the Africa Centre for Disease Control declared a public health emergency across the continent due to the spread of a new viral strain of the disease.
According to The PUNCH, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Pate, disclosed these measures in a statement on Thursday, which was signed by his Special Adviser on Media & External Relations, Tashikalmah Hallah.
Professor Pate explained that the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and the Nigeria Ports Health Services had already begun strengthening the country’s defenses before the outbreak was declared 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,” Pate noted.
“Our goal is to mitigate its impact by deploying measures similar to those we used during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
According to the World Health Organization, the new viral strain of Mpox, identified as Clade 1b, first emerged in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in September 2023 and has now spread to neighboring countries.
The virus is believed to be primarily transmitted through sexual networks, which has raised significant concerns.
So far in 2024, there have been 2,863 confirmed Mpox cases and 517 deaths reported across 13 African countries. In Nigeria alone, 39 confirmed cases have been recorded in 33 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), with no deaths reported.
The minister also emphasized the need for all travelers to Nigeria to complete an online health declaration form before departure. “This measure is being introduced alongside the activation of infectious disease centers in all 36 states and the FCT,” he added.
Professor Pate urged the public to maintain good hygiene practices, including frequent hand washing with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand sanitizer, especially after contact with an infected person or animal.
Mpox, a rare viral zoonotic disease endemic to parts of Central and West Africa, is primarily transmitted from animals to humans through direct contact with the blood, body fluids, or skin lesions of infected animals. Human-to-human transmission can occur through close contact with an infected person or contaminated materials, such as clothing or bedding.
Symptoms of Mpox include fever, headache, body aches, weakness, swollen lymph nodes, and a rash that typically begins on the face and spreads to other parts of the body. The rash can also appear in and around the genitals, further complicating its transmission.
