Health

Monkeypox Cases Rise, Spread To 26 States, FCT

Published

3 years ago

August 22, 2022

Cases of monkeypox have spread to 26 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), raising fears among citizens.

This is just as experts have called for increased efforts by all stakeholders towards curbing the situation. Monkeypox is a viral disease transmitted from animals to humans and from humans to humans.

From January to August this year, 473 suspected cases and 172 confirmed cases have been recorded.

An analysis of situation reports from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) shows that the number of cases recorded in the country so far this year is higher than those recorded each in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021. In the whole of 2017, there were 88 confirmed cases, 49 in 2018, 47 in 2019, 8 in 2020 and 34 in 2021.

Since the beginning of this year, several countries have also witnessed an unprecedented outbreak of monkeypox, prompting the Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Gebreyesus, to, July 23, declared monkeypox a public health emergency of international concern.

Spike in cases across states

The disease has been spreading across states and the FCT over the last few months.

As of May 29, a total of 21 confirmed cases with one death were reported from nine states and the FCT. The cases rose to 36 and spread to 15 states and the FCT by June 12. Less than two weeks later, the cases grew to 41. In the epidemiological week 25 alone (June 20 to 26 2022), there were 21 positive cases out of 42 suspected cases.

By July, the number of cases had hit 157 out of 413 suspected cases with the number of affected states also rising to 25 states and the FCT.

Between July 25 and 31, a total of 24 confirmed cases of monkeypox were recorded.

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As of August 7, the disease had spread to 27 states and confirmed cases risen to 172 since the beginning of the year out of 473 suspected cases. The number of deaths had also risen to four with Delta, Lagos, Ondo and Akwa Ibom recording one case each.

The latest NCDC situation report showed that in the first week of August alone, 60 suspected cases were recorded from 10 states out of which 15 new confirmed cases were recorded.

The states that have recorded monkeypox cases since the beginning of the year are Lagos (20), Ondo (16), Adamawa (13), Rivers (13), Delta (12), Bayelsa (12), Edo (9), Nasarawa (9), Anambra (7), Imo (7), Plateau (6), Taraba (5).

Others are Kwara (5), Kano (5), Abia (4), Cross River (3), Borno (3), Oyo (3), Gombe (3), Katsina (2), Kogi (2), Ogun (2), Niger (1), Bauchi (1), Akwa Ibom (1) and Ebonyi (1) as well as FCT (7).

Experts’ views

An epidemiologist and microbiologist with the African Field Epidemiology Network, Dr Muhammad Shakir Balogun, stressed the need to quickly act to reduce the spread of monkeypox.

He advised Nigerians on precautionary measures: “To protect yourself, avoid close, skin-to-skin contact with people who have a rash that looks like monkeypox; don’t touch the rash of a person with monkeypox; don’t kiss, hug, cuddle or have sex with someone with monkeypox; avoid contact with objects and materials that a person with monkeypox has used; don’t share eating utensils or cups with a person with monkeypox; don’t handle or touch the bedding, towels, or clothing of a person with monkeypox.

“In addition, avoid contact with animals that can spread monkeypox virus, usually rodents and primates. Also, avoid sick or dead animals as well as bedding or other materials they’ve touched”.

According to him, though there are vaccines for monkeypox, they’re not widely available yet and “where they’re available, they’re given to people at high risk.”

A professor of Virology, Sunday Omilabu, urged the Federal Government to acquire smallpox vaccines to stem the tide of monkeypox.

In his interview with Arise TV, monitored by our correspondents, he said: “Government should negotiate for smallpox vaccine as other European countries are doing to prevent more cases of the virus.”

Director-General, NCDC, Dr Ifedayo Adetifa, said since the re-emergence of monekypox in 2017, the agency had made investments to increase surveillance, diagnostics, risk communications and research capacity despite limited resources.

“These investments, coupled with an awareness of the ongoing global outbreak, have increased Nigerians’ awareness of the disease leading to an increase in the number of monkeypox cases detected in Nigeria,” he said.

He commended state epidemiologists and local government area disease surveillance notification officers for facilitating the timely detection of monkeypox cases that might have been missed in other years. He enjoined Nigerians, particularly those with immunocompromised or underlying health conditions, to be aware of the symptoms of monkeypox and its associated risks.

He also advised the citizens to “promptly report to their nearest health facility if they or their relatives observe such symptoms including rash containing pus on the body surfaces such as the face, hands, soles of feet etc.”

On the fears over the spread of monkeypox, Adetifa, however, said no cause for alarm as the variant in circulation tends to resolve on its own spontaneously or without any specific treatment.

He said: “The monkeypox virus in circulation (clade IIa formerly known as the West African clade) is the same as before and has not changed in virulence. Research has shown that this variant is self-limiting.”

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He said the NCDC-led national monkeypox Emergency Operations Centre continued to work with states to support ongoing monkeypox response activities in surveillance, risk communications, laboratory diagnostics, case management and infection prevention and control.

What to know about monkeypox

Animal-to-human transmission of Monkeypox may occur by direct contact with blood, body fluids, skin or mucosal lesions of infected animals such as monkeys, squirrels and rodents.

Symptoms include fever, body pain, weakness, sore throat and rashes on the face, palms, soles of the feet and other parts of the body.

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of lesions is the mainstay of monkeypox diagnosis. Swabs and scabs from skin lesions are sent to the designated reference laboratory in dry containers. Serum samples can also be taken; however, these often yield negative results due to the transient viraemia.

Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi, noted that there are two types of monkeypox virus: the West African and Central Africa variants.

According to him, infections in the current global outbreak are from the West African type and are less fatal; while the Central Africa variant is more fatal and confined to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Director, Public Health, Edo State Ministry of Health, Stephenson Ojeifo, said the state had carried out contact tracing of about 200 persons who had contact with the positive cases and they were all declared negative after laboratory investigations.

He said the state had put in place a surveillance mechanism while also reactivating its health education unit to sensitise the public on the zoonotic disease.

Ojeifo said the patients were treated in the state’s isolation centres.

Some of the residents of the state, who spoke to Daily Trust, suggested that sensitisation programmes on monkeypox be taken to rural areas.

The Ebonyi State Commissioner for Health, Daniel Umezurike, said someone who tested positive to monkeypox recently had been moved to an isolation centre and was responding to treatment.

He said seven contacts and line listed individuals had been identified and were currently being followed up to avoid the spread of the virus.

“Active case search has been heightened across all the LGAs in the state to strengthen case finding.

“We’re also using this opportunity to appeal to Ebonyians to report to any nearest hospital in your area if they notice any symptoms like that of monkeypox,” he said.

Daily Trust

Health

Resident Doctors Threaten Fresh Nationwide Strike Over Unimplemented MoU

Published

1 day ago

December 30, 2025

Trends Admin

Resident Doctors Threaten Fresh Nationwide Strike Over Unimplemented MoU

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has warned of an imminent return to a nationwide strike, appealing to senior members of the medical profession to intervene as talks with the Federal Government stall.

In a statement issued on Sunday, NARD Secretary-General, Dr Shuaibu Ibrahim, said the association is on the verge of embarking on another Total and Indefinite Comprehensive Strike (TICS 2.0) due to the government’s failure to implement the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed after the suspension of the last industrial action.

“I write to you at a critical moment for Nigeria’s health sector and the medical profession,” Ibrahim said while addressing respected medical elders.

According to him, the looming strike stems from the failure of the Federal Ministry of Health and the Federal Government to honour commitments freely entered into with NARD.

“The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors stands on the brink of another nationwide industrial action, TICS 2.0, triggered by the failure of the Federal Ministry of Health and the Federal Government to honour the MoU,” he stated.

Ibrahim described the situation as distressing, noting that it reflects a breakdown of trust between the government and medical professionals. He said resident doctors had exercised restraint for months by suspending strikes and extending ultimatums without receiving any meaningful response.

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He explained that after suspending a warning strike, NARD issued a two-week ultimatum, which elapsed without response, before extending it by 30 days and later by another seven days, all without results.

“Consequently, TICS 1.0 commenced, prompting limited engagement that culminated in the signing of an MoU with clear timelines,” he said.

However, Ibrahim noted that 31 days after the signing of the MoU, there has been no visible or substantive progress in its implementation.

“Resident doctors should not be blamed if industrial action resumes, having repeatedly demonstrated patience while government obligations remain unmet,” he added.

The NARD scribe said resident doctors, who form the backbone of service delivery in Nigeria’s tertiary hospitals, remain overworked and demoralised, warning that failure to respect agreements sends a dangerous signal to professionals in the health sector.

“When agreements addressing our welfare endorsed by the Federal Government are treated with levity, it sends a dangerous signal that sacrifice, dialogue and professionalism no longer count,” he said.

He therefore appealed to respected medical elders to prevail on the Federal Ministry of Health and the Federal Government to urgently implement the MoU.

The warning comes weeks after NARD suspended a 29-day nationwide strike that began on November 1, 2025, following an Extraordinary National Executive Council meeting. About 11,000 resident doctors across 91 teaching hospitals withdrew services during the strike, disrupting healthcare delivery nationwide.

The strike was suspended after the signing of an MoU addressing issues such as the reinstatement of Lokoja doctors, release of the Professional Allowance Table, payment of promotion and salary arrears, implementation of specialist allowance, and resolution of entry-level and membership certificate concerns.

NARD had warned that failure to meet the agreed timelines would result in a resumption of industrial action.

Resident Doctors Threaten Fresh Nationwide Strike Over Unimplemented MoU

Health

Brain Drain Deepens as 16,156 Nigerian Nurses Secure UK Licences Since 2017

Published

6 days ago

December 25, 2025

Trends Admin

Brain Drain Deepens as 16,156 Nigerian Nurses Secure UK Licences Since 2017

No fewer than 16,156 Nigerian-trained nurses and midwives have been licensed to practise in the United Kingdom between 2017 and September 30, 2025, according to latest data from the UK Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).

The figure, obtained from the NMC register, underscores the deepening brain drain in Nigeria’s healthcare sector, popularly referred to as “japa”, as skilled professionals continue to migrate in search of better pay, working conditions and career opportunities.

In an email response, the NMC, which regulates nurses and midwives in the UK, confirmed:

“As of 30 September 2025, there were 16,156 nurses on the register who were educated in Nigeria.”

The data shows a steady rise in migration. As of March 31, 2025, the number stood at 15,421, representing a 4.8 per cent increase within six months. Nigeria ranked as the third-highest source of foreign-trained nurses in the UK, behind India and the Philippines, according to the NMC’s March 2025 report.

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Although international recruitment into the UK slowed across major source countries, including Nigeria, India and the Philippines, the report noted that the increase in UK-trained nurses has been too slow to offset the decline, resulting in slower overall growth on the NMC register.

The impact of this migration is being strongly felt at home. The 2025 Nigeria Health Statistics report, released by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, revealed that 43,221 healthcare professionals—including doctors, nurses, pharmacists and medical laboratory scientists—left Nigeria between 2023 and 2024.

Specifically, the report showed that over 23,000 Nigerian nurses and midwives migrated abroad in 2024 alone. Their preferred destinations were the United States (8,613), United Kingdom (7,463), Canada (5,603), Saudi Arabia (1,231) and Ireland (989).

Highlighting the scale of the crisis, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Salako, said Nigeria’s doctor-to-population ratio stands at 1:5,000, far below the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendation of 1:600, while the nurse-to-population ratio is about 1:2,000, compared to the recommended 1:300.

Salako said the Federal Government is working to address the shortfall through strengthening primary healthcare, expanding the Health Workforce Registry, increasing training quotas, and implementing retention policies aimed at slowing the tide of healthcare migration.

Brain Drain Deepens as 16,156 Nigerian Nurses Secure UK Licences Since 2017

Health

NAFDAC Assures Nigerians: Locally Made Indomie Noodles Safe Amid French Recall Alert

Published

1 week ago

December 21, 2025

Trends Admin

NAFDAC Assures Nigerians: Locally Made Indomie Noodles Safe Amid French Recall Alert

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has reassured the public that Indomie Noodles Vegetable Flavour is not registered or sold in Nigeria, following a recall alert issued by French health authorities.

In a press release on Sunday, NAFDAC clarified that the recall, initiated by Rappel Conso, France’s official consumer safety platform, involved undeclared allergens—milk and eggs—in the Vegetable Flavour variant, posing risks to individuals with allergies or intolerances. The agency emphasized that the product does not originate from Nigeria and is not approved for sale.

NAFDAC Director-General, Professor Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, stated:
“The Indomie noodles vegetable flavour in question is not registered with NAFDAC for sale in Nigeria.”

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The agency highlighted that noodle imports are on the Federal Government’s Import Prohibition List, making it illegal to bring such products into the country. To safeguard public health, NAFDAC has intensified nationwide surveillance, directing zonal directors, state coordinators, and Ports Inspection authorities to prevent any circulation of the recalled product.

The agency further assured that all Indomie noodles produced in Nigeria are locally manufactured, strictly regulated, and comply with Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards. Consumers are advised to report any suspected sale or adverse reactions via NAFDAC’s toll-free number 0800-162-3322 or its e-reporting platforms.

In a separate statement, Indomie Nigeria confirmed that the company does not manufacture, import, or sell the Vegetable Flavour variant in Nigeria, stressing that all locally made Indomie noodles are safe for consumption. The company warned against purchasing noodles with unfamiliar packaging and urged reliance on official sources for verified information.

Both NAFDAC and Indomie Nigeria appealed for public calm, reiterating that Nigerian-produced Indomie noodles remain safe, unaffected, and compliant with regulatory standards.