The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) recently confirmed 40 cases of Mpox in the country out of 830 suspected cases. Even though the World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that Nigeria is currently at moderate risk for the spread of Mpox, they stress the importance of remaining vigilant, especially since cases have been reported in faraway places like Europe and Asia.
To help combat the disease, the United States is donating doses of the Mpox vaccine to Nigeria. This announcement came during a joint briefing by the NCDC and WHO in Abuja, where they met with various stakeholders and partners to discuss the current situation and the way forward.
At the briefing, the NCDC Director General, Dr. Jide Idris, explained that the agency has been working closely with state governments and health commissioners. The goal is to ensure each state establishes its own emergency response teams and plans to tackle the disease.
“We’ve discussed strategies with state officials to manage this at the local level,” Dr. Idris said. “The idea is to work together to reduce the spread of Mpox, not just in Nigeria, but across Africa and globally.”
After Mpox was declared a public health emergency of international concern, Nigeria set up an Emergency Operations Center (EOC). This center is responsible for planning and coordinating the country’s response to the outbreak.
Dr. Idris highlighted that the cases are spread across several regions, including South-South, South-East, Lagos, Ogun, and parts of Northern Nigeria. “We are focusing on these areas to reduce the number of cases through active surveillance and better detection methods,” he added.
One of the main challenges Nigeria faces is the limited capacity to test for Mpox. Right now, there are only two labs equipped to handle genomic sequencing for the disease: one in Abuja and another in Lagos. Given the spread of the virus, there is an urgent need to expand these capabilities.
“We need to increase the number of labs that can conduct Mpox tests,” Dr. Idris emphasized. “We are working to include more facilities, such as Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) and the African Center for Genomics (ACG). The goal is to equip more labs, especially in the South-South and South-East regions, with the tools and training they need to test for Mpox.”
The NCDC is also focused on raising public awareness about Mpox, informing people on how to recognize symptoms and prevent the spread. Dr. Idris pointed out that the disease mainly spreads through contact with infected animals or people. “Avoiding contact is key to preventing transmission,” he said.
Data collection has been another significant challenge. Some states have not reported any cases, possibly due to stigma or lack of awareness. Dr. Idris mentioned that the NCDC is sending out teams to improve case detection and gather more accurate data. “We aim to reduce cases, but that requires an active search for new cases and better data collection,” he stated.
Dr. Walter Mulombo, the WHO’s Country Representative for Nigeria, assured that the organization is committed to supporting Nigeria in its efforts to control the outbreak. However, he also noted that the demand for Mpox vaccines is much higher than the current supply. “There is a huge global demand, but the available vaccines are limited. The donation from the US is crucial, but we need more to meet the global needs,” Dr. Mulombo said.
He also emphasized the need for Nigeria to enhance its laboratory capabilities to improve detection and response to the virus. “While Nigeria is at moderate risk, we must remain vigilant,” Dr. Mulombo warned. “As long as cases continue to appear in other parts of the world, no country is completely safe.”
Source: The Guardian
