Kehinde Fajobi
The National Orientation Agency (NOA) in Akwa Ibom State has launched a sensitisation campaign to raise public awareness on the spread and prevention of Mpox, following eight confirmed cases in the state.
This initiative follows a report from the Ministry of Health indicating that Akwa Ibom now ranks among the highest in Mpox cases nationally.
Speaking to reporters in Uyo on Monday, NOA’s state coordinator, Mkpoutom Mkpoutom, emphasised the urgency of the situation.
“Akwa Ibom is currently having the highest cases of Mpox in the federation. My team has been on the ground since last week upon instruction from the Ministry of Health,” he stated.
According to Mkpoutom, ten local government areas have been impacted, with Uyo, Onna, Mkpat Enin, and Ikot Ekpene among the hardest hit.
He disclosed that in Onna LGA alone, “about six people were affected in one house” and later relocated to Uyo, where cases have since increased.
“We are asking people to please report cases. People should not think it is ordinary rashes (‘krokro’)—it is not. The disease spreads easily, and it’s not only from monkeys, as originally thought, but also from rats,” Mkpoutom cautioned.
He added that once it infects one person, it can spread rapidly within households.
The NOA highlighted the need for vigilance and rapid response, stressing that although there is no cure for Mpox, treatment options exist for managing symptoms.
“For now, according to the health sector, there is no curative for Mpox; it is only managed,” Mkpoutom explained.
He confirmed that those infected have been quarantined and that contact tracing efforts are active throughout the state to contain the outbreak.