The House of Representatives, yesterday, summoned the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, over the
outbreak of monkey pox in the country.
The House took the decision in Abuja
just as the National Centre for Disease Control confirmed that 31 cases
of the disease had been recorded in the country.
The National Coordinator/Chief Executive
Officer of the agency, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, had disclosed that
monkeypox cases had been reported in seven states.
The states are Bayelsa, Rivers, Ekiti, Akwa Ibom, Ogun, Cross River and Lagos.
At its plenary in Abuja, presided over
by the Speaker, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, the House was alarmed that the
disease was spreading while it appeared that the Federal Ministry of
Health was helpless without relying on the World Health Organisation.
A lawmaker from Bayelsa State, Mr. Diri
Douye, raised the issue under matters of urgent national importance,
praying that the minister should be summoned.
The prayer was immediately passed in a unanimous voice vote.
Lawmakers expressed concern that a
country, as big as Nigeria, did not have a laboratory to respond to the
health emergency without first sending specimen to Dakar, Senegal, for
investigations.
They were also in shock that Adewole admitted that Nigeria was helpless.
“The House is concerned by the shocking
admission of Adewole that monkeypox could not be confirmed in Nigeria
until laboratory investigations by WHO and referral to Dakar, Senegal.
“Again, concerned that the disease has
spread to other states, notably Uyo in Akwa Ibom State, in spite of
concerted efforts by the Bayelsa State Government since the initial
report in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State,” the House motion read partly.
The minster is to explain the actions taken so far by the Federal Government to contain the spread of the disease.
The resolution stated, “The House
invites the minister of health to explain the alarming situation of how a
country, as vast and resourced as Nigeria, will depend on a laboratory
in Dakar, Senegal, to analyse samples at such a critical time of
national health crisis.
“To explain what measures and strategies
the country has in place to be more proactive in the active
surveillance and rapid case detection of cases for the prevention and
containment of monkeypox as well as other viruses in future.”
The House commended the Bayelsa State Government for its “quick intervention and collaborative efforts” so far.
Also, the Senate urged the Federal
Government to liaise with WHO and other donor agencies as Nigeria
continued the fight against monkeypox.
This was part of the prayers of a motion
moved by Senator Ali Wakili (Bauchi South), which the Senate adopted at
the plenary on Tuesday.
The upper chamber of the National
Assembly also urged the Federal Government, through the Ministry of
Health, state and local governments, to be proactive in containing and
preventing the disease from spreading beyond where it had been reported.
The lawmakers also called for aggressive
enlightenment and education of the citizens on measures that could be
taken to mitigate risk factors of exposure to the virus, while seeking a
sustained public health education messages through media platforms.
Wakili, while moving the motion, said
the Senate was worried that “there are no specific treatment in the
provision or availability of vaccine for monkeypox infection and that
Nigerians have been thrown into panic as the country’s health sector is
facing a myriad of challenges.”
President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, in a remark, thanked Wakili for the motion and its prayers.
Story By JOHNSON OKPUSA OBASI
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