The Federal Government has announced several proactive measures to prevent the importation of any strain of monkeypox into Nigeria by travellers, News About Nigeria reports.
This decision, coordinated by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), is in response to the rising number of monkeypox cases globally and follows similar declarations by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Africa Centre for Disease Control (Africa CDC).
On Wednesday, the Africa CDC declared monkeypox a public health emergency due to the increasing number of confirmed cases across the continent.
The WHO echoed this sentiment on Thursday, recognising monkeypox as a public health challenge that requires international collaboration.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, Dr. Jide Idris, Director General of the NCDC, confirmed that systems have been activated in collaboration with relevant stakeholders to respond promptly to the public health threat.
“As part of the government’s ongoing efforts, we have intensified our surveillance system across Nigeria to swiftly detect and respond to new cases,” Dr. Idris stated.
“Port Health Service Officials across all five international airports, ten seaports, and 51 land and foot crossing borders have been put on high alert.”
The NCDC has distributed diagnostic protocols in line with the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) framework to these locations, and officials are actively screening for suspected cases.
Specific states, including Lagos, Abuja, Enugu, Kano, Rivers, Cross-River, Akwa-Ibom, Adamawa, and Taraba, have been placed on red alert.
Contact tracing and monitoring for confirmed cases have also commenced to prevent community transmission.
Travellers from countries experiencing monkeypox outbreaks within the last 90 days are required to declare their travel history.
Additionally, the NCDC has been providing healthcare workers and the public with updated guidance on infection prevention and control measures.
Public and private hospitals have been notified, and referral isolation and treatment centers across the six geopolitical zones have been established.
Dr. Idris also revealed that efforts are underway to make vaccines available, particularly in hotspot areas.
“We are expecting 10,000 doses of the Jynneos (monkeypox) vaccine, which we might deploy to high-risk groups,” he said.
The NCDC has urged Nigerians to adhere to proven infection prevention and control measures to limit the transmission of the monkeypox virus.
Currently, Nigeria has recorded 39 confirmed cases of monkeypox, with Bayelsa, Cross River, Ogun, Lagos, Ondo, and Ebonyi states leading in the number of cases.
