The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has reported 39 confirmed cases of mpox with no deaths across 33 states and the Federal Capital Territory. NCDC Director General, Jide Idris, disclosed this during a press briefing on Thursday, following the declaration of mpox as a public health emergency of international concern.
Idris stated that the NCDC is intensifying its surveillance efforts nationwide to quickly identify and respond to any new cases. All port health services at Nigeria’s five international airports, ten seaports, and 51 land and foot crossing borders have been placed on high alert. Additionally, certain states, including Lagos, Enugu, Kano, Rivers, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Adamawa, Taraba, and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, have been prioritized for heightened vigilance.
On Wednesday, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the mpox outbreak in Africa a global public health emergency due to the rising number of cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and its spread to neighboring countries. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced that an emergency committee had met and advised that the situation constitutes a public health emergency of international concern, a recommendation he accepted.
Tedros emphasized that the situation requires global attention, and WHO is committed to coordinating a global response, working closely with affected countries to prevent transmission, treat those infected, and save lives.
The decision follows the African Union’s health watchdog’s declaration of a public health emergency over the growing outbreak. Mpox, which was first identified in humans in the DRC in 1970, has now spread to other countries. Tedros noted that the more than 14,000 cases and 524 deaths reported this year in the DRC alone have already surpassed last year's total.
