Mpox a global health emergency, sats WHO - Newstrends
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Mpox a global health emergency, sats WHO

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2 years ago

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Mpox a global health emergency, sats WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), its highest level of alert, due to a new variant of the mpox viral disease in Africa.

The WHO on Wednesday said mpox cases have been found in 13 African countries and its new form is spreading. It is the second time in two years the organisation has issued the alert for the disease.

It comes after an outbreak of the viral infection in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) that has spread to neighbouring countries.

“Today, the emergency committee met and advised me that in its view, the situation constitutes a public health emergency of international concern. I have accepted that advice,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Tedros told a news conference.

“This is something that should concern us all,” he said.

“WHO is committed in the days and weeks ahead to coordinate the global response, working closely with each of the affected countries, and leveraging our on-the-ground presence, to prevent transmission, treat those infected, and save lives,” Tedros added.

The PHEIC declaration can accelerate research, funding and international public health measures and cooperation to contain a disease. It triggers emergency responses in countries worldwide under the legally binding International Health Regulations.

Mpox can spread through close contact between individuals. While usually mild, it can be fatal in rare cases. It causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions on the body.

The DRC outbreak began with a strain known as clade I, but a new variant clade Ib appears to be spreading more easily.

The strain has so far been detected in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.

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Earlier this week, Africa’s top public health body declared an mpox emergency for the continent after warning that the viral infection was spreading at an alarming rate.

More than 17,000 suspected mpox cases and 517 deaths have been reported on the African continent so far this year, a 160 percent increase in cases compared with the same period last year, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said.

Speaking to Al Jazeera, Ngashi Ngongo, the chief of staff of the regional health body, said an agreement had been reached with the EU’s health task force and mpox vaccine manufacturer Bavarian Nordic to provide an initial 215,000 doses of the inoculant to Africa.

He said that they were still negotiating a deal for the continent to receive two million doses by the end of the year, and ten million by the end of 2025.

“We are also planning to saturate the media, both television and the radio, to make sure that all those that have access to those media can also receive the message,” Ngongo said.

“But remember that 96 percent of cases are in the DRC, and 60 percent of those cases are among the young people below the age of 18,” he added, “so we’re also using social media to ensure that the young people are also reached.”

Second alert in two years

A different form of the mpox virus – clade IIb – spread globally in 2022, largely through sexual contact among men who have sex with men.

The WHO declared a public health emergency which lasted from July 2022 to May 2023. The outbreak, which has now largely subsided, caused some 140 deaths out of about 90,000 cases.

Amid the most recent outbreak, the Red Cross has said it was scaling up preparedness measures across Africa, particularly in the eastern DRC.

The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies voiced “profound concern” about the spread of the virus.

The organisation pledged to “play a crucial role in containing the spread of the disease, even in the hard-to-reach areas where the need is the greatest”.

Mpox a global health emergency, sats WHO

Source: Al Jazeera and news agencies

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WHO Declares Nigeria Ebola-Free, 52 Contacts Remain Under Surveillance

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3 weeks ago

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October 26, 2026

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WHO Declares Nigeria Ebola-Free, 52 Contacts Remain Under Surveillance

 

The World Health Organisation has declared Nigeria free of active Ebola cases after the evacuation of country’s lone confirmed patient to Switzerland.

Health authorities however continue to monitor 52 contacts to prevent a possible spread of the deadly disease.

The WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Mohamed Janabi, announced this in a statement posted on his verified X handle on Monday, confirming that Nigeria would retain responsibility for monitoring 52 contacts, while Switzerland would take over the patient’s continued medical care and follow up with her husband.

Janabi said the patient was clinically stable after Nigerian medical teams successfully managed her through the acute phase of the illness and stabilised her condition before her evacuation.

“Nigeria is now Ebola-free following the evacuation of the index patient to Switzerland,” he said.

He added that Nigeria would maintain close follow-up of the 52 contacts, while Switzerland would assume responsibility for the continued management of the patient and the monitoring of contact number 53, her husband.

The development follows an earlier confirmation by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention that the country had recorded an imported Ebola case involving a patient from Uganda.

Following the confirmation, the NCDC placed 53 contacts under surveillance in Abuja as part of measures to track possible exposure and prevent further transmission.

Although the evacuation of the patient has removed the confirmed case from Nigeria, health authorities are expected to sustain surveillance of the identified contacts in line with established public health protocols.

The monitoring exercise remains critical to ensuring that any potential emergence of symptoms among those exposed is detected promptly and managed appropriately.

Ebola is a severe and often fatal disease that can spread through direct contact with the blood and other bodily fluids of an infected person or someone who has died from the disease.

Public health authorities typically rely on early detection, contact tracing, isolation and appropriate medical care to contain outbreaks and prevent further transmission.

With the index patient now receiving continued care in Switzerland, Nigeria’s immediate focus remains on monitoring the 52 contacts and ensuring that the outbreak does not lead to further infections.

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NAFDAC Busts Illegal Herbal Factory in Lagos, Arrests Manager Over Fake Registration Number

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3 weeks ago

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October 21, 2026

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NAFDAC Busts Illegal Herbal Factory in Lagos, Arrests Manager Over Fake Registration Number
NAFDAC Busts Illegal Herbal Factory in Lagos, Arrests Manager Over Fake Registration Number

LAGOS — The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has uncovered a suspected illegal herbal product manufacturing facility in Agege, Lagos State, and arrested its manager over the alleged use of a falsified registration number on herbal products.

The agency disclosed the development on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, following an investigation triggered by a report published by The Guardian on October 10 concerning herbal products allegedly carrying fake NAFDAC registration numbers.

According to NAFDAC, its investigative team conducted surveillance before discovering three variants of Asheitu Adams Bitters bearing registration number A7-1827L.

However, checks through the agency’s NAFDAC Automated Product Administration and Monitoring System (NAPAMS) revealed that the registration number belonged to Greentol Cough Syrup, rather than the herbal bitters.

The agency said the discovery confirmed the fraudulent use of the registration number on the products.

During the operation, the company’s managing director and chief executive officer was reportedly absent, while the manager was arrested for further interrogation as investigations continued.

The Sun identified the arrested manager as 39-year-old Abdullazeez Saidu from Kano State. NAFDAC had not announced any court charges against him as of Wednesday.

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The agency urged members of the public to provide credible information about suspected illegal manufacturing activities to help strengthen enforcement efforts and protect consumers from potentially unsafe products.

NAFDAC provided the following channels for reporting suspected violations: its call centre numbers, 0800-1-623322 and 0700-1-623322, and the email address reforms@nafdac.gov.ng.

The discovery comes amid a series of enforcement operations by the agency against suspected counterfeit and adulterated products in Lagos and other parts of the country.

On October 14, NAFDAC reported uncovering a suspected facility at the International Trade Fair Complex in Lagos where expired alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages were allegedly being repackaged for sale. The agency also reported seizures of suspected counterfeit alcoholic drinks in other operations.

The latest operation highlights concerns about the misuse of regulatory registration numbers, which consumers often rely on when assessing whether products have been registered for sale in Nigeria.

NAFDAC has repeatedly urged consumers to verify product registration details and report suspicious products or manufacturing activities.

The agency’s investigation into the Agege facility is ongoing, and further details about the products recovered, their distribution and any potential health effects have not been publicly disclosed.

NAFDAC Busts Illegal Herbal Factory in Lagos, Arrests Manager Over Fake Registration Number

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FG Confirms Ebola Case in Abuja, Identifies 44 Contacts

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3 weeks ago

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October 20, 2026

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FG Confirms Ebola Case in Abuja, Identifies 44 Contacts

FG Confirms Ebola Case in Abuja, Identifies 44 Contacts

The Federal Government has confirmed a case of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, after laboratory tests returned positive for a woman who recently arrived in Nigeria from Uganda.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, announced the development on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, saying health authorities had identified 44 close contacts and commenced contact tracing to prevent further transmission.

According to the minister, the patient was admitted to a private hospital in Abuja, where she received medical attention for several days before the infection was confirmed. She is currently in isolation and receiving medical care.

The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare is coordinating the response with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), the FCT Health Services Secretariat and other relevant authorities.

Public health teams are tracing and monitoring people who may have been exposed to the patient, including healthcare workers, other patients, caregivers and people who travelled with her.

The government said surveillance had been intensified, while the hospital where the woman received treatment was receiving support to strengthen infection prevention and control measures.

The minister urged public and private healthcare facilities across Nigeria to remain on high alert and promptly identify, isolate and report suspected cases to the appropriate public health authorities.

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Healthcare workers were also directed to maintain strict infection prevention and control practices to reduce the risk of exposure and protect patients and medical personnel.

Pate appealed to Nigerians to remain calm, vigilant and cooperative with health officials, stressing that early detection and prompt reporting were essential to containing the infection.

He noted that Nigeria had successfully contained an Ebola outbreak in 2014 and had experience and public health systems to respond to the current situation.

The government also urged anyone contacted during the tracing exercise, including passengers who may have travelled with the patient, to provide the necessary information and comply with official public health guidance.

Ebola virus disease is a serious illness that can spread through direct contact with the blood or other body fluids of an infected person who has developed symptoms, or through contaminated objects and materials.

Symptoms may include fever, severe weakness, headache, vomiting and diarrhoea. The incubation period ranges from two to 21 days.

Anyone who believes they may have been exposed and subsequently develops symptoms should contact public health authorities for guidance and avoid close contact with others while awaiting advice.

The NCDC operates a toll-free call centre on 6232, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for information and reports of suspected cases.

Nigeria’s latest case comes amid a wider Ebola outbreak affecting parts of Africa, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo and countries in East Africa. The NCDC had previously warned of the risk of imported infections and strengthened national preparedness measures.

The Federal Government said investigations and contact tracing were continuing, with further updates expected through the NCDC and the Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease.

Authorities have urged the public to rely on verified information, follow official health advice and avoid spreading unconfirmed reports as efforts continue to contain the infection.

 

FG Confirms Ebola Case in Abuja, Identifies 44 Contacts

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