The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has announced the country’s mpox strategy entails prioritising surveillance. Dr Jide Idris, Director-General of the centre, while addressing a press briefing said the aim of the nationwide intensified surveillance is to swiftly detect and respond to any new cases.
Coordinated by the National Mpox Technical Working Group, NCDC said it is putting all port health services across the country’s 5 international airports, 10 seaports, and 51 land/foot crossing borders on high alert.
“Diagnostic protocols are now distributed to these locations and port health officers are on high alert and screening for suspected cases. Some states have also been put on high alert including Lagos, Abuja, Enugu, Kano, Rivers, Cross-River, Akwa-Ibom, Adamawa, and Taraba,” Idris told journalists.
He also confirmed that contact tracing is ongoing, in addition to monitoring for confirmed cases to prevent further spread which will now also include declaration by travellers who have been to any of the countries where there is an ongoing outbreak of mpox in the last 90 days.
“Additionally, we continue to provide healthcare workers and the public with updated guidance on infection prevention and control measures and train SURGE staff as part of our preparedness and readiness for an MPX public health event,” Idris stated.
The country is also taking a regional approach to isolation and treatment, and testing, with six reference laboratories announced which includes the centre’s national reference laboratory in Abuja, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, and the Prof Christian Happi-led ACEGID in Osun state.
He also revealed that the country is also “considering vaccination efforts for high-risk groups”, as the country now expects to receive 10,000 doses of the Jynneos vaccine.
“The TWG remains committed to providing evidence-based guidance to inform the country’s next steps in safeguarding the health of Nigerians at national, state, and local government levels,” Idris said.
Follow our coverage of the mpox outbreak across the continent and beyond at mpox.africa