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Prof Isaac
Adewole, Minister of Health
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The House of
Representatives, on Tuesday, summoned the Minister of Health, Prof Isaac
Adewole, over the outbreak of monkeypox in the country.
The
Punch report continues:
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, 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 Organization.
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 analyze 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.
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