10th October, 2017
The Edo House of Assembly on Tuesday directed the state’s Ministry of Health to embark on enlightenment campaigns to prevent the outbreak of monkey pox in the state.
The Speaker, Adjoto Kabiru, gave the directive in Benin during the presentation of the 2017 budget performance by the ministry.
Kabiru said the directive had become necessary following the reported suspected outbreak of the disease in Bayelsa, Rivers, Ekiti, Akwa Ibom, Lagos, Ogun and Cross Rivers.
“It is very important that we take proactive steps to sensitise the people on how to prevent the spread of monkey pox.
“This will make people to be aware of the disease because some have not heard about it before,” he said.
In his response, the state’s Commissioner for Health, Mr David Osifo, said that the ministry had plans to carry out sensitisation campaigns on the disease.
Osifo said that a committee had been constituted to revamp the state’s primary health care system, to ensure presence of health personnel in health centers in the rural areas.
“Plans are in top gear to provide accommodation in the health centers in the rural areas to attract health workers. We will also provide security in these places,’’ he said.
READ: Monkeypox: 31 suspected cases reported in 7 states – NCDC
The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that on Sept. 22, there was a notification on suspected monkey pox outbreak in Bayelsa.
Since then, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) had confirmed 31 suspected cases in Bayelsa, Rivers, Ekiti, Akwa Ibom, Lagos, Ogun and Cross Rivers.
Monkey pox is a rare viral disease transmitted to humans from animals and the first case was noticed in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1970.
One can be infected by the disease through direct contact with blood, body fluids and muscular injury of infected animals and the incubation period ranges from five to 21 days.
The first five days known as `invasion period’, is characterised by fever, intense headache, swelling of the lymph back pain and others.