Poor living conditions fueling monkeypox spread, says Envision

Monkeypox pustles on the face of a young child

Humanitarian organisation, Envision Global Care Foundation wants the Nigerian government to improve the living condition of the less privileged to prevent epidemic disorders such as Monkeypox that is rapidly spreading in the country in recent times.

Speaking in Abuja, President of the Organization, Mr Jerry Ikogho, observed that the less privileged groups are more vulnerable to disease outbreaks due to their poor living condition, access to good medical care and other environmental hazards. 

Calling for concerted effort by all institutions to ensure the virus is contained, Ikogho commended the prompt response of the Nigerian Center for Disease Control (NCDC) noting that Nigeria had reached a stage where vaccines needed for prevention and drugs for treatment of such disease should be readily available and distributed.

He urged the NCDC to be more proactive towards prevention by increasing awareness on the disease at rural communities as well as Internally Displaced Person’s camps.

According to the Foundation’s Programme Director, Diana Eyo-Enotte: “We are happy that the NCDC is coordinating investigation and response across the affected states through active case finding, epidemiological investigation and contact tracing.

"However we should see it that the swift spread of the virus to seven states in less than a month means that Nigerians are not properly educated about the virus and how it spreads, most of which are due to body contact attributed to environmental and poor living condition of the people.

“At this point monkeypox should be declared a serious medical emergency and the government must pay full attention to it by providing both human and financial resources to contain its spread,” she added

Envision also urged the Federal government to pay more attention to the health needs of the poor by making access to medical care easier, cheaper and better.