The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) reported 40 confirmed Mpox cases across 13 states, with no fatalities recorded. Director-General Jide Idris emphasized the need for increased testing and surveillance to manage the outbreak, collaborating with state governments to strengthen response efforts.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has reported 40 confirmed cases of Mpox across 13 states, primarily affecting regions in the South-South and South-East. This announcement was made by Jide Idris, the NCDC Director-General, during a briefing in Abuja, where he also noted that there have been no recorded fatalities.
Idris highlighted the NCDC's commitment to implementing an action plan aimed at reducing the number of cases through increased surveillance and detection efforts. The agency is collaborating with state governments to establish local emergency response teams and develop tailored action plans.
All confirmed cases have undergone validation through genomic sequencing at laboratories located in Abuja and Lagos. However, Idris stressed the need to expand testing capabilities, calling for additional facilities, including the Lagos University Teaching Hospital and the African Centre for Genomics, to be equipped for this purpose.
The outbreak has been designated a public health emergency by both the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Africa Centre for Disease Control. As hundreds of deaths have been reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the NCDC is prioritizing preventive measures to manage and mitigate the impact of mpox in Nigeria, ensuring the health and safety of the public.
