October 18, (THEWILL) – Over 1,100 persons have died across Africa from monkeypox (mpox), Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa-CDC) disclosed.
This is just as the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) is facilitating the deployment of 10,000 doses of the Mpox Jynneos vaccine, prioritising high-risk groups such as contacts of confirmed cases and immune-compromised individuals.
“Mpox is going out of control if we don’t act. I am so sad to say we now have more than 1,000 mpox deaths. This Week 40, we have 1,100 deaths reported in total”, Africa CDC Head, Jean Kaseya, told an online media briefing on Thursday, adding that about 42,000 Mpox cases have been recorded in 18 countries in the continent since January.
“Eighteen countries are too many, we cannot continue like that. We want to see concrete action on the ground to stop this outbreak”, he said, urging international partners to step up and immediately release funds pledged to combat mpox.
Meanwhile, the NCDC has warned of the possibility of the Marburg virus entering the country considering the volume of travel between Nigeria and Rwanda.
Director-General of NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, who issued the alert while giving an update on Ongoing Response to Infectious Disease Outbreaks, in Abuja, said the expert risk assessment conducted by the Centre reported a potential for localised transmission of Marburg, particularly among populations with high presence of bats.
He observed that though there was no specific treatment or vaccine for Marburg, the NCDC was prepared to respond and had activated health declaration forms for arriving passengers, especially from affected regions.
Idris urged Nigerians, particularly those travelling to regions with reported Marburg cases, to remain vigilant and avoid contact with wild animals, especially fruit bats, and seek medical attention immediately if symptoms such as high fever, severe headache or unexplained bleeding occur.
Idris also said cholera remains a serious public health issue, particularly in areas with inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) systems.
According to him, 14,237 cases of cholera were reported across 35 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), spanning 339 local councils, on October 13, 2024, while 378 lives were lost, resulting in a Case Fatality Ratio (CFR) of about 2.7 per cent.
He observed that the floods in the northern states of Borno, Adamawa, Jigawa, Yobe and Kano had exacerbated the spread of cholera, making these states the present epicentres of the outbreak.
