In a bid to curb the spread of Mpox in Nigeria, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has donated 10,000 Jynneos vaccines to the country. This was announced on Tuesday during an official handover ceremony, where Dr. Muyi Aina, Director General of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), confirmed that the distribution of the vaccines would begin immediately.
Dr. Aina stated that priority would be given to states with the highest number of cases and to frontline workers. He expressed gratitude to the US government for its support, noting that the vaccines would be instrumental in saving lives and preventing the spread of Mpox across Nigeria.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) reported that a total of 39 confirmed cases of Mpox have been recorded across 33 states and the Federal Capital Territory. No deaths have been reported so far. The NCDC is intensifying surveillance efforts nationwide to quickly detect and respond to new cases.
NCDC Director General, Jide Idris, highlighted that all port health services at international airports, seaports, and land borders are on high alert. Specific states, including Lagos, Enugu, Kano, Rivers, and Abuja, have been identified as high-risk areas.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently declared the Mpox outbreak in Africa a global public health emergency, driven by a surge in cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo and spread to neighboring countries. WHO Director General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, stressed the need for a coordinated global response to prevent further transmission, treat those infected, and save lives.
