The ministry of health has issued a directive mandating that all travelers coming to Nigeria must complete a health declaration form. This measure is aimed at mitigating the potential spread of infectious diseases within the country and ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the Nigerian populace.
The ministry made this important information known on its official website, which can be accessed at healthapp.ncdc.gov.ng/. This initiative is part of a broader strategy to monitor and control public health risks as the world continues to grapple with various health challenges that can affect nations globally.
In a related context, Vanguard reported just four days ago on the troubling resurgence of monkeypox in various parts of Africa. This resurgence comes two years after a significant global outbreak, and concerns are now mounting that a new strain of mpox—which was previously referred to as monkeypox—has been identified in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and has since begun to appear in several neighboring countries, raising alarms about its potential to spread further.
The new strain, which is notably more deadly and transmissible than earlier variants, has been surging in the DRC since September. Known as the Clade Ib subclade, it has been confirmed to spread from person to person, which increases the urgency of the situation. The World Health Organization (WHO) has indicated that it is considering the possibility of convening an expert committee to provide guidance on whether to declare an international health emergency, similar to the actions taken during the global mpox outbreak in 2022.
The Clade Ib strain is particularly concerning as it causes extensive skin rashes that affect the entire body, contrasting with other strains where lesions and rashes are typically confined to specific areas such as the mouth, face, and genitals. As of August 3, the African Union health agency, Africa CDC, reported a total of 14,479 confirmed and suspected cases of this strain in the DRC, with a reported 455 deaths, indicating a troubling mortality rate of approximately three percent.
However, experts and researchers in the vast Central African nation have warned that the mortality rate from this strain could reach as high as 10 percent among children, making it a particularly dangerous risk factor for younger populations. The Congolese government has also recognized an “exponential increase” in cases in recent months, underscoring the critical nature of this health crisis.
“The disease has been observed in the displacement camps around Goma in North Kivu, where the extreme population density exacerbates the situation, making it very critical,” stated Louis Albert Massing, the medical coordinator for Doctors Without Borders in the DRC. This highlights the challenges faced by health authorities in managing the outbreak effectively.
In light of these developments, the Nigeria Health Ministry has mandated that all travelers arriving in Nigeria complete the health declaration form. “This form is an instituted measure to prevent the spread, monitor the possible importation of infectious diseases, and aid the control of disease outbreaks, thereby protecting the health of all Nigerians,” the ministry emphasized on its website. This initiative reflects the commitment of health authorities to proactively safeguard the nation from emerging health threats.
