The Director of Health and Care at the Nigerian Red Cross on Mpox, Dr. Mannir Jega, has stated that there are 108 confirmed cases of Mpox spanning 27 states in the country to date.
He made this disclosure during the training of health workers from 15 states, held at Bafra Hotel in Kaduna on Wednesday.
According to the director, a similar training had already been conducted in 17 states.
He noted that the current training programme included participants from Kano, Kaduna, Borno, Edo, and other states.
“We trained them with the necessary skills and knowledge on how to respond effectively to the outbreak,” he said.
While acknowledging that Bayelsa State has the highest number of Mpox cases in the country, he added that the North Central region has the highest cases within northern Nigeria.
He further revealed that a preparedness plan is being developed for the Northern region, aimed at reducing disease transmission and protecting vulnerable populations in low-burden states.
Dr. Jega also stated that the Nigerian Red Cross, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, the NCDC, and their partners at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent, has activated a robust response plan.
“Mpox is a critical public health issue affecting our nation and the world,” he said. “The MPOX outbreak has been declared a global health emergency by both the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Africa CDC.
Unfortunately, Nigeria is among the affected countries.”
According to Jega, “The latest figures from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) reveal 108 confirmed Mpox cases out of 1,395 suspected cases this year, spanning 27 states and the Federal Capital Territory.”
“While we are fortunate that no fatalities have been recorded thus far, we must act decisively to prevent further spread and mitigate its impact,” he stressed.