The Academy of Medicine Specialities of Nigeria (AMSN) has urged the federal and state governments to scale up actions in the fight against Monkeypox (Mpox) in the country.
The organisation also advised the federal government to establish a national advisory task force to be domiciled in the presidency for effective coordination and monitoring of responses across the country.
The academy gave this advice in a statement issued by its Rapid Response Initiative Committee on the public health implications of the outbreak of Mpox in African countries, including Nigeria.
The statement, which was made available to the Nigerian Tribune, was signed by the president of the academy, Professor Oladapo Ashiru, who is a consultant endocrinologist at the Mart Medical Group.
According to the academy, there is a need for the country to enhance surveillance and rapid response mechanisms, covering detection and quick response to new cases of the virus.
Mpox is a rare and infectious disease that can spread from animals to humans and between people through close contact with someone who’s infected or by touching contaminated things.
According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), 67 out of 1,031 suspected cases reported as of Wednesday were confirmed to be Mpox across 23 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.
The outbreak of the disease, according to the academy, constitutes a significant public health challenge and requires immediate and coordinated actions at both national and regional levels.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organisation have both in August declared Mpox a public health concern at the regional and global levels, respectively.
However, AMSN expressed concern that the public awareness campaigns about the outbreak of the disease, risk factors, prevention, and treatment are low, leading to stigma and misinformation about the disease.
The academy equally identified inadequate health facilities in many African countries, including Nigeria, and the limited resources, including diagnostic tools, personal protective equipment, and treatment options, as additional challenges faced by healthcare providers in battling the disease.
While commending the US government for donating vaccines to some African countries with Nigeria the as the first beneficiary, the academy canvassed for equitable access to the vaccines, with priority given to the most vulnerable populations.
The organisation also mentioned the importance of research and development to fight the disease while reinforcing the need for aggressive enlightenment to fight the disease and its further spread.
In this regard, the academy suggested the use of billboards and radio jingles across the country to pass the message about the disease down to the people across the country in a simple language they best understand.
“There is also the need to engage communities, the organised private sector, civil society organisations, and the media to join in the response.
The academy, however, expressed readiness to support the fight in any way possible.
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