THE MPOX GLOBAL EMERGENCY

Nigerians should keep their environment clean, and maintain good personal hygiene

For the second time within three years, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the spread of mpox, formerly called monkeypox, a global health emergency. This is a troubling development that should ginger the authorities since mpox is endemic in Nigeria. According to the Director General of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) Jide Idris, Nigeria has recorded 39 mpox cases across 33 states and the Federal Capital Territory since the beginning of the year. Fortunately, there were no fatalities.

Since the beginning of this year, the Democratic Republic of Congo alone has reported more than 14,000 mpox cases and 524 deaths. Those most at risk include women and children under 15. “The detection and rapid spread of a new clade of mpox in eastern D.R.C., its detection in neighboring countries that had not previously reported mpox, and the potential for further spread within Africa and beyond is very worrying,” said WHO Director General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Tuesday.

First discovered in 1958 when two outbreaks of a pox-like disease occurred in some colonies of monkeys that had been kept for research at the State Serum Institute in Copenhagen, Denmark, it was immediately named ‘monkey pox’. But the first human index was reportedly recorded in 1970 in the D.R.C. during a period of intensified effort to eliminate the disease. Data from the United States which also witnessed an outbreak two years ago suggest that gay, bisexuals, etc., make up most cases in the country. Meanwhile, it is not only monkeys that cause the virus. Majority of cases are in fact transmitted from rats, squirrel, rodents and usually because of direct person-to-person contact or through blood and bodily fluids. During the first few days, symptoms can include nausea, headache, fever, back pains and in advanced cases, rashes bigger than those caused by chicken pox. The disease is treatable, and most

patients usually recover.

The real challenge is that immune-compromised patients, especially among children of the poor as well as those with other problems such as malnutrition or lung disease may be more endangered. And as at present, there is no commercially available vaccine specifically for mpox. But there are lessons we can learn from the past.  

   When there was an outbreak of a similar but much-dreaded Ebola virus in the country in 2014, many Nigerians as well as members of the international community commended our health authorities for the swift response in dealing with the disease which at that period originated from Liberia. The well coordinated response saved several lives and prevented what could have been a national calamity. But the same cannot be said of the 2015 outbreak of meningitis where the health authorities were evidently caught napping

thus leading to several fatalities. We hope sufficient lessons have been learnt from that ugly experience in case there is an outbreak of mpox in the country.  

Health expects recommend regular washing of hands with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Besides,  avoiding contact with any materials that has been in contact with a sick animal or person and isolating infected patients from others remain the best ways to avoid a spread of the virus.   

Therefore, since prevention is still far better than cure, we urge Nigerians to continue to observe good hygienic behaviour, especially given the causative factors of mpox. But the ultimate responsibility lies with the health authorities. The NCDC must work with other stakeholders on preventive measures. We cannot afford another outbreak of a major disease in Nigeria.