By Onwa Ekor, Calabar
Cross River Commissioner for Health, Dr. Egbe Ayuk, has dismissed allegation of outbreak of Monkey Pox, otherwise known as Mpox, in the state.
This is sequel to renewed issues raised by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) fingering Cross River as one of the five states with Mpox disease.
Reacting, the health Commissioner described the statement as erroneous, affirming that there is currently no evidence of either Mpox, Cholera, or Lassa in Cross River.
Ayuk stated this while addressing journalists in his office in Calabar, recently, reasoning that, the recent update from the NCDC had to do with previous occurrence of Mpox in the State.
The Commissioner who pointed out that the last notification of Monkey Pox in the state was in
March 2024, maintained that the situation was adequately resolved completely.
“There is currently no incident of Mpox in the State.
“However, against the current declaration of Mpox as a global health emergency by World Health Organization (WHO), the Cross River government has put in place proactive measures to prevent and mitigate any incident of the disease and protect citizens of the State,” he told newsmen.
Ayuk outlined some of the steps to include the development of incident action plan and emergency preparedness plan which is near conclusion; ongoing training in all local government areas for community informants and surveillance officers sponsored by WHO in collaboration with State Ministry of Health; training of all Disease Surveillance and Notification Officers by NCDC in collaboration with State Ministry for Health on Mpox and other priority diseases; Health Promotion and Surveillance Units of State Ministry for Health in collaboration with NCDC, and WHO awareness creation through media sensitization around markets, schools, communities and hot spots LGAs.
“We are moving round all our health facilities (tertiary, secondary and primary) this month to sensitize health care workers on Mpox and other priority diseases,” he informed.
The Commissioner appealed for the needed support from media houses and media practitioners in the state to enable the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders intensify awareness creation and media engagements.
Ayuk also remarked that the Ministry of Health’s collaboration with NCDC has positioned a significant number of response commodities in health facilities at Mpox hot spot local government areas in the state.
