The federal government has taken delivery of 10,000 doses of Mpox vaccine donated by the United States government.
Mpox disease has been declared a matter of global health concern by the World Health Organisation (WHO) with countries in the East African region accounting for most of the casualties.
Also, as part of the efforts of the present administration to expand the healthcare value chain in the country, the federal government has given the newly established Federal University of Health and Allied Sciences a mandate to commence studies in September.
Although there have been no casualties recorded in Nigeria so far, the number of infected persons has reached 40.
US ambassador, Richard Mills who presented the vaccine to Nigerian government officials in Abuja, on Tuesday said the US government has prioritized support for Global Health Security, particularly in the most vulnerable countries.
“I am pleased to be here with you today on the occasion of the handover of 10,000 doses of JYNNEOS Mpox vaccines donated by the United States Government, through the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
“These vaccines will support the Government of Nigeria’s response to the current Mpox outbreak which has been declared a global emergency by the World Health Organisation. Recognizing that a public health threat in one place is a global health concern for all,” he said
He said the United States government, through USAID, remains a committed partner with Nigeria to strengthen systems that can effectively prevent, detect, and respond to public health threats.
According to the ambassador, USAID has funded projects including MRITE and Breakthrough Action that are integral in the provision of technical support at the national and sub-national levels.
Speaking during the formal handover of the vaccines, the Executive Director of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Muyi Aina, said it was a two-dose primary series for use in persons who have never received smallpox vaccine and a single booster for individuals previously vaccinated with a smallpox vaccine
When asked when the vaccination would commence, Aina said the Mpox vaccine would be immediately deployed to areas with a high risk of infection.
He said one of the decisions the agency has taken was to vaccinate people at high risk, like health workers, and people living in areas with high infection rates.
The Executive Director said NPHCDA was working with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) to effectively check the spread and control of infectious diseases in the country.
READ ALSO: Germany Donates 100,000 Mpox Vaccine Doses To Combat Outbreak In Africa
Meanwhile, as part of the efforts of the present administration to expand the healthcare value chain in the country, the federal government has given the newly established Federal University of Health and Allied Sciences a mandate to commence studies in September.
Speaking during the official handover of the Mpox vaccine to Nigeria in Abuja, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Pate, thanked the US government for the donation, saying the Federal Government was committed to improving the well-being of Nigerians.
Pate, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Daju Kachollom, said, “This is a spirit of cooperation and collaboration through the years, and this vaccine that has been brought to us will be of great help to us. The Federal Ministry of Health knows the importance of having a healthy nation so all the policies that we put in place and the collaborations have to do with ensuring that our citizens are healthy.
“The minister says everything we do in health matters to him and Nigeria is very fortunate to have such a potential as the Coordinating Minister and Dr Tunji Alausa as the Minister of State for Health, and together, we are transforming the health sector.
“Thank you for the 10,000 doses and we look towards getting more, and I want to thank our development partners, USAID, PEPFAR, WHO, UNICEF, all the UN organisations. I want to say thank you for the collaboration, and this will go a long way to help those who are in need.
“We all know how large our population is, and we need to ensure that we meet every disease in the world, especially those that have to do with public health concerns, and on this note, I would like to say thank you very much.”
