Monkeypox: Nigeria Senate urges FG to seek intervension of WHO

The Federal Government has been urged by the Senate to liaise with the World Health Organisation for unforseen eventualities as Nigeria fights against monkeypox.

This was part of the prayers of a motion moved by Senator Ali Wakili (Bauchi-South), titled ‘Urgent Need for Proactive Steps to Nip in the Bud Reported Outbreak of Monkeypox Disease in Nigeria,’ which the Senate adopted at the plenary on Tuesday.

The upper chamber of the National Assembly also urged the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Health, state and local governments, to be proactive in containing and preventing the disease from spreading beyond where it had been reported.

The lawmakers also called for aggressive enlightenment and education of the citizens on measures that could be taken to mitigate risk factors of exposure to the virus, while seeking a sustained public health education messages through media platforms.

Wakili, while moving the motion, said the Senate was worried that “there are no specific treatments in the provision or availability of vaccine for monkeypox infection and that Nigerians have been thrown into panic, as the country’s health sector is facing a myriad of
challenges.”

He added, “The Senate is disturbed that since there is no vaccine or specific treatment, the only ways to reduce the infection in people is through awareness of risk factors, enlightenment about measures to be taken to reduce exposure to the virus, reduction of possibility of
animal to human transmission, and through cooking of all animal products before consumption.”

Source: ( Punch Newspaper)