Abuja – Nigeria is witnessing a rise in mpox cases. Between 1 January and 30 October 2022, 583 confirmed cases were recorded, compared with only 34 confirmed cases during 2021. The surge has prompted the health authorities to ramp up control measures to curb the transmission of the virus. This includes community sensitization, which is essential to ensure early detection and notification of the disease.
World Health Organization (WHO) is supporting the national efforts to bolster disease surveillance, case investigations, laboratory testing and public awareness on mpox.
Mpox, a virus with symptoms like those of the long-eradicated smallpox, although less severe, has been present in Nigeria since 2017. Before that the country had not experienced a case in 39 years.
In August 2022, 10-year-old Goodluck Izuorgu fell ill with a high temperature and body pain. At first, his mother, Chinoye Izuorgu, thought he had malaria, but when he developed small lesions on his face and arms, she started to worry that something else was wrong.
“My body was aching and itchy,” says Goodluck. “The pain and itching were unbearable and I was constantly crying,” he recalls.
Goodluck was diagnosed with mpox after his mother took him to a primary health centre where they live, in the Isiala-Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State, southeast Nigeria.
“My body was aching and itchy,” says Goodluck. “The pain and itching were unbearable and I was constantly crying,” he recalls.
Goodluck was diagnosed with mpox after his mother took him to a primary health centre where they live, in the Isiala-Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State, southeast Nigeria.
Health workers had been visiting households in the area to sensitize people about mpox and what people should do if they suspect someone has the symptoms of the disease.
“This helped me make the quick decision of taking him to the health centre,” says Izuorgu.
“After we visited the centre, a disease surveillance and notification officer came to my house with someone from World Health Organization who collected Goodluck’s blood sample,” she continues.
Two days later, the family was notified that Goodluck had tested positive for mpox.
Goodluck says he was scared when he was told he had mpox because he had only heard of the disease on the radio.
“I was in the house for two weeks and could not play with my friends,” he says. “I felt bad anytime I saw them playing and could not join them. But today, I can join them as there are no more spots on my body.”
“This helped me make the quick decision of taking him to the health centre,” says Izuorgu.
“After we visited the centre, a disease surveillance and notification officer came to my house with someone from World Health Organization who collected Goodluck’s blood sample,” she continues.
Two days later, the family was notified that Goodluck had tested positive for mpox.
Goodluck says he was scared when he was told he had mpox because he had only heard of the disease on the radio.
“I was in the house for two weeks and could not play with my friends,” he says. “I felt bad anytime I saw them playing and could not join them. But today, I can join them as there are no more spots on my body.”
Mpox is a viral disease that can jump from animals to humans and can also spread between people through close contact with an infected person.
Besides fever, body aches and skin rashes or lesions, symptoms may also include back pain, low energy and swollen lymph nodes, and last from two to four weeks.
In most cases, symptoms clear up on their own. Some people may have a severe form of the disease and deaths may occur, especially if they have a comorbidity.
There are no antiviral agents or drugs that are effective against the virus, so health workers can only help treat symptoms, such as pain and fever.
The percent of people dying compared to those diagnosed is around 3%‒6%.
Besides fever, body aches and skin rashes or lesions, symptoms may also include back pain, low energy and swollen lymph nodes, and last from two to four weeks.
In most cases, symptoms clear up on their own. Some people may have a severe form of the disease and deaths may occur, especially if they have a comorbidity.
There are no antiviral agents or drugs that are effective against the virus, so health workers can only help treat symptoms, such as pain and fever.
The percent of people dying compared to those diagnosed is around 3%‒6%.
In Mbaitolu Local Government Area of Imo State, Disease Surveillance and Notification Officer, Josephine Opurum, ensures her team tells people in the community about the disease.
Opurum says community sensitization and risk messaging are instrumental to disease surveillance and eradication programmes in Nigeria. “This has yielded results as most of the suspected cases present themselves at the health centre,” she says. People also notify health workers in the area when they notice a suspected case in their community, she adds.
“We take advantage of community and religious gatherings as well as antenatal services to enlighten people about mpox and other infectious diseases,” says Opurum.
WHO has provided information, education and communication materials to sensitize health workers and communities on preventive and protective measures to curb mpox.
Opurum says community sensitization and risk messaging are instrumental to disease surveillance and eradication programmes in Nigeria. “This has yielded results as most of the suspected cases present themselves at the health centre,” she says. People also notify health workers in the area when they notice a suspected case in their community, she adds.
“We take advantage of community and religious gatherings as well as antenatal services to enlighten people about mpox and other infectious diseases,” says Opurum.
WHO has provided information, education and communication materials to sensitize health workers and communities on preventive and protective measures to curb mpox.
Dr Okeji Austine, Director of Public Health at Imo State Ministry of Health, says there have been more notifications of suspected and confirmed cases because of the improved level of surveillance by health workers and awareness of the disease in the population.
WHO has supported sample collection after suspected case notification, says Austine, sending tests to the National Reference Laboratory in Abuja and conducting patient follow-up. The Organization also helps to conduct detailed case investigations to collect data on patient contacts.
“WHO is a reliable partner in the fight against mpox, COVID-19 and other priority diseases in the state,” says Austine.
WHO has supported sample collection after suspected case notification, says Austine, sending tests to the National Reference Laboratory in Abuja and conducting patient follow-up. The Organization also helps to conduct detailed case investigations to collect data on patient contacts.
“WHO is a reliable partner in the fight against mpox, COVID-19 and other priority diseases in the state,” says Austine.
On a national level, WHO supports government with the coordination of technical assistance and operational support of partners, including the national “One-health” risk surveillance and information sharing group, to facilitate timely information exchange on all prioritized zoonotic diseases.
And now that Goodluck is feeling better, he says that he wants to be a “mpox ambassador” to play his role in the response.
“I tell my friends about the disease, how I felt when I was sick and advise them to always wash their hands and bathe after playing,” he says.
And now that Goodluck is feeling better, he says that he wants to be a “mpox ambassador” to play his role in the response.
“I tell my friends about the disease, how I felt when I was sick and advise them to always wash their hands and bathe after playing,” he says.
For Additional Information or to Request Interviews, Please contact:
Hammanyero, Kulchumi Isa
Communications Officer
WHO Nigeria
Email: hammanyerok [at] who.int (hammanyerok[at]who[dot]int)
Natalie Ridgard
Communication Officer
WHO Regional Office for Africa
Email: ridgardn [at] who.int (ridgardn[at]who[dot]int)
Tel: +254 11 289 0666