To prevent and control the spread of Monkey pox Clad 1 infectious disease in Nigeria, the Federal Government has intensified monitoring and screening procedures at all entry points in the country.
Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, made this known in a statement on Friday.
The statement signed by his Special Adviser (SA) on Media & External Relations, Tashikalmah Hallah, noted that the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the Nigeria Ports Health Services, under the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, began taking steps to fortify Nigeria’s defences even before the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention declared Mpox a public health emergency.
According to him, the government had implemented a new mandate requiring all travellers to complete an online health declaration form before departing for the country.
This measure is being introduced alongside the activation of infectious disease centres in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, he said.
While noting that Mpox Clade 1 strain has caused fatalities in up to 10% of individuals who have fallen ill in previous outbreaks, the Minister added that the aim was to tackle and mitigate its impact by deploying measures similar to those used during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pate advised the public to practise good hygiene, frequent hand washing with soap and water, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser, especially after contact with an infected person or animal.
Mpox is transmitted through close contact, such as sex, skin-to-skin contact, and talking or breathing close to another person. It causes flu-like symptoms and skin lesions and can be fatal, with 4 in 100 cases leading to death.
Outbreaks of Mpox can also be prevented and controlled with vaccines, although these are usually only available for people at risk or those in close contact with an infected person.
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