In a bid to curb the spread of Mpox, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has donated 10,000 Jynneos vaccines to Nigeria.
During the official handover on Tuesday, Dr. Muyi Aina, Director General of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NHPCDA), announced that vaccine distribution would begin immediately, prioritizing states with the highest number of cases and frontline workers.
He expressed gratitude to the U.S. government for their support and vowed to ensure the vaccines are used effectively to save lives and reduce the spread of Mpox across Nigeria.
Nigeria Steps Up Surveillance as Mpox Cases Reach 39
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) reported 39 confirmed cases of Mpox across 33 states and the Federal Capital Territory, with no deaths recorded.
NCDC Director General Jide Idris disclosed this at a press briefing following the recent declaration of Mpox as a public health emergency of international concern. He noted that the NCDC is ramping up surveillance efforts across Nigeria to quickly detect and respond to new cases.
Idris emphasized that all port health services at the country’s five international airports, 10 seaports, and 51 land and foot crossings are on high alert. Several states, including Lagos, Enugu, Kano, Rivers, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Adamawa, Taraba, and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, have also been placed on high alert.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently declared the surge in Mpox cases in Africa a global public health emergency, citing concerns over the rising cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and their spread to neighboring countries.
WHO convened a meeting of experts to assess the outbreak and provide recommendations to Director-General Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus.
“The emergency committee met today and advised me that, in its view, the situation constitutes a public health emergency of international concern. I have accepted that advice,” Dr. Tedros announced at a press conference.
“This is a matter of global concern. WHO is committed to coordinating the global response in the coming days and weeks, working closely with affected countries and leveraging our on-the-ground presence to prevent transmission, treat those infected, and save lives.”
This decision follows the African Union’s health watchdog declaring a public health emergency due to the escalating outbreak.
Mpox has rapidly spread through the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the virus, formerly known as monkeypox, was first identified in humans in 1970, and has since reached other countries.
Dr. Tedros noted that the more than 14,000 cases and 524 deaths reported in the DRC so far this year have already surpassed last year’s totals.