MPOX: NCDC confirms 48 cases out of 1134 suspected cases

• WHO Says Outbreaks In Africa Might Stop In Next Six Months
Abuja-based medical doctor and Co-Founder, Impact Driven Young Leaders (IDYL) initiative, Dr. Obinna Ebirim, has said governments at all levels must take proactive and coordinated approach to prevent the spread of monkeypox.

According to the doctor, it is important that federal and state governments fund and strengthen their surveillance systems. “There are state governments that are not allocating any fund for surveillance that helps to identify cases. While international partners like World Health Organisation (WHO) have been instrumental in supporting surveillance in some states, this should not substitute for adequate funding and commitment from state governments themselves,” he said.

Mpox, also known as monkeypox, is related to smallpox but typically causes milder symptoms, including fever, headache and body aches. In severe cases, people can develop painful sores and blisters on the face, chest, hands and genitals. Mpox is typically spread via close skin-to-skin contact.

Ebirim said there is need to strengthen screening at the entry and exit points, especially for passengers coming from other countries or who have recently visited places with confirmed cases.

He stated that mpox vaccination programme should be well coordinated, with a clear strategy for distribution and administration of vaccines, particularly in high-risk areas.

“Governments should also ensure that case management protocols are in place and that health facilities are well-equipped to handle potential cases.”

Ebirim said it is important to leverage the outbreak response structures established during the COVID-19 pandemic and other recent outbreaks such as cholera and Lassa fever should be key. “These structures have demonstrated the importance of rapid, organised responses, and they should be adapted and strengthened to address the unique challenges posed by monkeypox,” he noted.

He said there is need for multi-sectoral collaboration among stakeholders as this is essential to ensure a robust response and government has a role in coordinating this collaboration. “This collaboration will include sharing data, best practices and resources,” the medical doctor pointed out.

Ebirim noted that there is need for regular training and retraining of health workers in infectious prevention and control (IPC) and outbreak reporting are also essential. “Health workers should be empowered to act swiftly and effectively, using the knowledge and systems developed during previous outbreaks.”

He said health workers play an important role in preventing the spread of diseases and control of outbreaks including monkeypox.

“This should start with updating and applying their knowledge of infectious prevention and control (IPC) and outbreak response protocols. Health workers should proactively seek out opportunities to enhance their knowledge and skills. This preparation is essential for them to identify potential cases early and respond appropriately.”.

Ebirim said health workers should also leverage the trust they have built within their communities to disseminate accurate and timely information about monkeypox. Public awareness and education are key components of disease prevention and outbreak control, and health workers are uniquely positioned to lead these efforts. “These preventive measures include hygiene practices, safe handling of animals, and the importance of seeking medical care, thereby reducing the risk of transmission at the community level”.

He said: “Health workers must engage in disease surveillance, contact tracing and case reporting. They should work closely with national center for disease control and prevention (NCDC) and other related agencies to ensure that suspected cases are quickly identified, reported, and managed. This includes utilizing the outbreak response structures that were established during the COVID-19 pandemic and other recent outbreaks, in which Nigeria showed that it could effectively in mobilising rapid responses.”

He said in summary, health workers should be at the forefront of the fight against monkeypox, utilising their expertise to educate the public, ensure early detection and response, and uphold the highest standards of infection prevention and control (IPC). Their role is not only to treat but to prevent the spread of the disease, ensuring that communities are informed, protected, and prepared.

Chairman Nigerian Optometric Association, Lagos State chapter, Dr. Gloria Okoekhian, said there is need to prevent the spread, “so as to stop further casualties and make our environment free of the diseases.”

She said, “everyone has a role to play individually, in promoting preventive measures; with collective efforts, Nigeria can put an end to its spread. Nigerians need to be well informed about the various symptoms of monkey pox like fever, headache, and rash and seek medical attention immediately they notice any symptom. It is worthy of note that people should be aware that monkeypox can spread through human-to-human contact, contaminated materials, and infected animals.”

She noted that a lot of people shy away from reporting themselves due to stigma. Thus Nigerians are encouraged to desist from stigmatising infected individuals or their families and support those affected by encouraging them to seek medical help. “Finally, everyone must stay informed with these few tips which include follow credible sources like NCDC, WHO, and health authorities for updates. Stay informed about outbreaks, symptoms, and prevention measures.
Remember, prevention and awareness are keys to controlling the spread of Monkeypox.”

Nigeria became the first African country this week to receive a batch of vaccines against mpox, a viral disease whose rapid spread led the WHO to declare a global health emergency in mid-August. While more vaccine doses are available, experts say high costs and regulatory hurdles have prevented the jabs from reaching the countries in central Africa that most need them.

America, on Tuesday, donated 10,000 doses of mpox vaccines to Nigeria, the first of such donation to Africa since the current outbreak. Several other countries have also promised to send vaccines to the continent, with Spain alone pledging half a million doses.

Earlier this week, the head of Africa’s Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said the continent was hoping to receive about 380,000 doses of mpox vaccines promised by donors, including the U.S. and the European Union. That’s less than 15 per cent of the doses authorities have said are needed to end the mpox outbreaks in Congo.

But there are still no jabs currently available in countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo, where mpox has circulated since January of last year and a new variant is preying on vulnerable, displaced populations, even as wealthy countries continue to inoculate people who are at lower risk.

Central Africa is seeing a rapid increase in mpox cases, with nearly 4,000 reported in a week, the continent’s public health body said Tuesday, reiterating a plea for long-awaited vaccines to combat a virus that is believed to have infected tens of thousands of people and killed more than 600 since the start of the year.

A recent resurgence of the virus and the detection in Central Africa of a new strain, dubbed Clade 1b, prompted the WHO to declare a global health emergency – its highest level of alert – on August 14.

On Tuesday, African’s main public health body, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), said there were more than 22,800 suspected mpox cases and 622 deaths on the continent and that infections had jumped 200% in the last week.

The Africa CDC estimates that 10 million doses are needed across the continent to fight the current outbreaks, with DR Congo the country most in need.

Currently, of the 1134 suspected cases, Nigeria has confirmed 48.

So far, Africa has secured less than 10 per cent of the estimated $245 million (€221 million) it needs to fight surging mpox outbreaks, Africa CDC’s Chief of Staff Ngashi Ngongo told a WHO meeting in the Republic of Congo’s capital Brazzaville on Wednesday. The agency’s Director-General Jean Kaseya urged vaccine manufacturers to share the know-how needed for the jabs to be produced locally at a lower price.

“We told Bavarian Nordic that we need a transfer of technology towards African manufacturers,” Kaseya told the Brazzaville meeting, adding that he believed mpox vaccines would be made in Africa “very soon”.

Meanwhile, the head of the World Health Organisation believes the ongoing mpox outbreaks in Africa might be stopped in the next six months, and said Friday that the agency’s first shipment of vaccines should arrive in Congo within days.

To date, Africa has received just a tiny fraction of the vaccines needed to slow the spread of the virus, especially in Congo, which has the most cases — more than 18,000 suspected cases and 629 deaths.

“With the governments’ leadership and close cooperation between partners, we believe we can stop these outbreaks in the next six months,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press briefing.

He said that while mpox infections have been rising quickly in the last few weeks, there have been relatively few deaths. Tedros also noted there were 258 cases of the newest version of mpox, with patients identified in Burundi, Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, Sweden and Thailand.

Earlier this month, WHO declared the ongoing mpox outbreaks in Africa a global emergency, hoping to spur a robust global response to the disease on a continent where cases were spreading largely unnoticed for years, including in Nigeria. In May, scientists detected a new version of the disease in Congo that they think could be spreading more easily.

WHO estimated about 230,000 vaccines could be sent “imminently” to Congo and elsewhere. The agency said it was also working on education campaigns to raise awareness of how people could avoid spreading mpox in countries with outbreaks.

Maria Van Kerkhove, who directs WHO’s epidemic and pandemic diseases department, said the agency was working to expedite vaccine access for affected countries — given the limited supply available.

Scientists have previously pointed out that without a better understanding of how mpox is spreading in Africa, it may be difficult to know how best to use the shots.