The United States (US) government has donated 10,000 doses of the Jynneos vaccine to Nigeria to combat the menace of Mpox in the country.
Approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Jynneos vaccine is designed to prevent smallpox and monkeypox in adults aged 18 and above who are at risk of infection.
At the official handover ceremony in Abuja on Tuesday, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Pate, thanked the U.S. government for the kind donation that would certainly aid the fight against the disease Nationwide.
Pate, who was represented by Permanent Secretary Daju Kachollom, said the Federal Government remained committed to improving public health in the country, adding; "This is a spirit of cooperation and collaboration through the years, and this vaccine will be of great help to us."
He further said; "The Federal Ministry of Health understands the importance of having a healthy nation, so all the policies that we implement and the collaborations are focused on ensuring our citizens' health."
The Minster also appreciated other development partners, including USAID, PEPFAR, WHO, UNICEF, and various UN organisations, for their continued assistance and support to the Nigerian health sector.
Prof Pate also stressed the need to adequately address public health concerns, particularly diseases like monkeypox that pose significant risks and danger to the population.
Monkeypox, a rare viral zoonotic disease, primarily affects remote villages in Central and West Africa near tropical rainforests.
It is caused by the monkeypox virus, which belongs to the orthopoxvirus genus, including smallpox and cowpox.
Following the eradication of smallpox, monkeypox has become a prominent concern within the orthopoxvirus family.
As of last Friday, August 22, 2024, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) reported 40 confirmed cases of monkeypox out of the 830 suspected cases recorded nationwide.
Also, on August 13, 2024, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) declared monkeypox a public health emergency of continental security.
Africa CDC is a continental autonomous health agency of the African Union (AU) established to support public health initiatives of Member States and strengthen the capacity of their public health institutions to detect, prevent, control and respond quickly and effectively.
