PUNCH
The Federal Government has intensified monitoring and screening procedures at all entry points into the country in response to the Monkeypox outbreak.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Pate, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday signed by his Special Adviser on Media and External Relations, Tashikalmah Hallah.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, on Thursday, reported 39 confirmed cases of mpox but no death across 33 states and the Federal Capital Territory from the beginning of 2024.
“The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Pate, emphasised that the country has intensified monitoring and screening procedures at all entry points in response to the threat of Mpox, Clade 1,” the SA said in the Thursday statement.
The statement quoted the minister as noting that the NCDC and the Nigeria Ports Health Services, under the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, had been taking steps to fortify Nigeria’s defences before the declaration of mpox as a public health emergency.
“This Mpox Clade 1 strain has caused fatalities in up to 10 per cent of individuals who have fallen ill in previous outbreaks. He added that the aim is to tackle and mitigate its impact by deploying measures similar to those used during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Pate noted.
He further explained that the government had implemented a new mandate requiring all travellers to complete an online health declaration form before departing for the country.
