By Emeka Samuel, Uyo
There are concerns in Akwa Ibom State as eight cases of Monkeypox has been recorded in some local government areas of the state.
The affected Local Government Areas include ONNA, Uruan, Ikot Ekpene and Mkpat Enin.
Speaking with Correspondents during an Enlightenment Tour of the Agency in Uyo on Monday, the state Director , National Orientation Agency (NOA) Mr Mkpoutom Mkpoutom said the scope of work of the Agency has expanded to cover all sectors of government adding that current enlightenment campaign is focused on health .
Mkpoutom who was accompanied by the Head of Public Enlightenment Department Mr Jackson Ibok said the affected persons have been quarantined in government hospitals in the state.
According to him the epidemic started in the ONNA local government area where six members of a certain family were infected before they migrated to Uyo city where the disease spread to other parts of the state.
“Six family members in Onna were first infected before they migrated to Uyo. That is how MPox spread to other parts of the state especially the neighbouring council areas within Uyo.”He said.
Mkpoutom disclosed that the state government has collaborated with the World Health Organization to contain the epidemic as it has no cure for now.
“The state government has alerted and mobilized health centres across the 31 local government areas to check further spread of the disease”, he said.
Confirming the incident, the state commissioner for Health, Prof Augustine Umoh said the state government is on top of the situation.
Umoh advised residents of the state not to panic over the outbreak as the government is working hard with the United Nations to contain the epidemic.
“Nobody should panic. The state government is working very hard to stop further spread of the epidemic to the entire state.
“Those infected have been isolated and quarantined in an isolation centre for observation and medication while contact tracing is ongoing in all the affected areas”, he added.
