Following the outbreak of the Monkey Pox Virus is some West African Countries, Nigeria inclusive, the Centre for Information Technology And Development (CITAD) has charged the Federal Government through the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to deploy and develop relevant protocols across the Nation that will assist in containing the outbreak in the Country.

CITAD Program Officer, Mr. Hamza Ibrahim in a statement urged NCDC to deploy active observatory mechanism across the federation with a view to containing further spread of the virus.

“In doing so we recommend that NCDC review it’s National Monkeypox Public Health Response Guidelines of 2019 to reflect deepening synergy with state governments in responding to suspected cases for proper detection, reporting and communication for quick actions.
“We equally wish to urge NCDC to collaborate with state governments to devise means of educating the public on symptoms of the virus and measures to take when they notice people or animals around them with symptoms of the virus.
“The public enlightenment and awareness on the virus should involve use of indigenous languages and English to be able to appeal to all Nigerians. We again want the public to stay vigilant and support the initiatives that will be put in place to ensure public safety.
“We also call on the NCDC to step up the discharge of it’s mandate of monitoring, detection, confirmation and other roles regarding the virus. We want to end by calling on the federal government to develop and deploy relevant protocols across our land, sea and air borders with a view to containing transmission of the virus” he disclosed.

He said the experience brought by the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic should not be forgotten, as such case confirmation of monkeypox in the country should be treated with the public health urgency and expertise it requires to be able to contain it.

He said monkeypox virus has been detected in some West and Central African countries igniting emergency crisis in public health.
He hinted that health authorities have been up and doing in those countries trying to contain the spread of the virus.
He said so far deaths have been recorded as measures to address the killer virus are being taken to put a stop to the new surge.

“In Nigeria, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has confirmed recording cases of the monkeypox in eight states including the FCT.
He gave statistics if the States as Adamawa with 5 cases, Lagos 4, Bayelsa 2, Delta 2, Cross River 2, FCT 2, Kano 2, Imo 2, and Rivers 1. According to NCDC, of the 21 cases and said a death was reported in a 40-year-old patient who had underlying co-morbidity and was on immunosuppressive medications.

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Monkeypox: CITAD Urges FG To Place Protocols to Contain Virus Outbreak as 21 Cases are Recorded with One Death