The Nigerian Centre for Disease Control and Prevention,NCDC, on Wednesday,said it would increase the number of laboratories at the state level to ensure prompt testing of Mpox.
The Director General of NCDC,Dr Jide Idris,who said this at a news briefing in Abuja,noted that at least,ttwo laboratories should be optimized in each geopolitical zone of the country.
He spoke as the number of confirmed Mpox cases moved to 67 against the 49 cases the centre previously confirmed.
"We need to increase the number of laboratories in the states to ensure prompt testing for Mpox. At least two laboratories should be optimized in each geopolitical zone," Idris said at the event.
The NCDC boss,while hinting that existing public health threats such as Lassa fever, yellow fever, cholera, and cerebrospinal meningitis were killing citizens than Mpox,advised against shifting focus from them.
He said:"Once a new disease comes up, there is a tendency to forget the existing ones. Some of these outbreaks are still killing people more than Mpox.
"We must balance our response to emerging diseases like Mpox with our ongoing efforts to control longstanding threats like AMR, Lassa fever, and cholera. Each of these requires sustained vigilance, resources, and collaboration at every level. "
Dr Idris disclosed that one state,Borno in particular, was yet to report an Mpox case to the federal government through the centre,a development he noted,has necessitated the expansion of laboratory capacity to test for the disease.
According to him,the NCDC is also enhancing cross-border surveillance and strengthening monitoring among special groups to ensure timely response and containment.
The NCDC report for week 36, released at the event,showed that Lassa fever outbreak has seen over 7,973 suspected cases and 168 deaths across 28 states, while cholera has claimed 216 lives in 2024 alone.
Idris said that the NCDC would intensify its interventions, including deploying National Rapid Response Teams,NRRT, as well as advocating for better environmental sanitation, and conducting mass vaccination campaigns against yellow fever.
He tasked Nigerians to remain vigilant, adopt preventive measures, and support public health initiatives of the federal government.
