Kehinde Fajobi
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has reported that Mpox has spread to 25 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), affecting 63 local government areas across the country.
The latest data shows that from January 1 to October 6, 2024, there have been 1,297 suspected cases, with 94 confirmed cases.
In its situation report, the NCDC noted that in Epidemiology week 40 of 2024, 47 new suspected cases were recorded, down from 67 cases reported in week 39. Confirmed cases also decreased, with six confirmed in week 40 compared to 10 in the previous week.
The report stated, “Twenty-five states and the FCT have recorded at least one confirmed case across 63 LGAs in 2024. Since September 2017, 5,114 suspected cases have been reported from 36 states and the FCT, with 1,180 confirmed cases (23.1 per cent) from 35 states and the FCT, along with 17 deaths. Males (~70 per cent) are predominantly affected.”
The National Mpox Emergency Operation Centre continues to coordinate the response through a multi-sectoral and multi-partner approach.
States with the highest confirmed cases include Cross River (11), Lagos (10), Plateau (8), Enugu (8), Akwa Ibom (8), and Delta (6), among others. Meanwhile, Ogun leads in suspected cases with 222, followed by Lagos (153) and Bayelsa (125).
The NCDC also provided an age breakdown for confirmed cases in 2024, showing that people aged 21-30 were most affected, with 25 cases, followed by those aged 0-10, with 24 cases.
The Mpox outbreak continues to pose a public health challenge as efforts to contain the virus and provide adequate healthcare responses are ongoing.