Nigeria is preparing to roll out vaccination against monkeypox (mpox) in high-burden states, with the Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS) planning to expand its response training across all 774 local councils to prevent a humanitarian crisis. The National President of NRCS, Oluyemisi Adeaga, emphasized the organization’s readiness to mitigate health and humanitarian challenges.
“When you compare it to the national population of 220 million, we might not fully cover it yet, but we ensure our presence in every local council and can mobilize support when needed,” Adeaga stated during a recent Train-the-Trainer workshop in Abuja, in partnership with the Nigeria Centre for Diseases Control (NCDC).
Senior Epidemic Preparedness Officer, Dr. Odianosen Ehiakhamen, revealed that Nigeria is set to vaccinate in the coming days. “We have over 90 confirmed cases across 25 states and the Federal Capital Territory. It’s crucial to boost the capacity of health workers for proper response,” he said.
Africa CDC also confirmed 489 new mpox cases and 53 deaths, calling for accelerated vaccination efforts across the continent.
- Tags: Mpox, NCDC, Nigeria, Odianosen Ehiakhamen, Oluyemisi Adeaga, Red Cross
