Nigeria’s Mpox cases mostly affect children, men

The latest situation report from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has shown that 67 per cent of Mpox cases recorded since January 2024 were reported in males.

According to the report released Monday on NCDC website, a total of 1,031 suspected cases have been reported across 47 local government areas in 23 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The age and sex distribution in the report showed that children below five years old are most affected, followed by age groups 26 to 30 and 46 to 50. A total of 67 cases have been confirmed in 2024.

NCDC established that men are predominantly affected, accounting for approximately 70 per cent of 6,001 suspected and confirmed mpox cases recorded in Nigeria since September 2017, when the first confirmed cases occurred.

However, Nigeria has recorded no fatalities from the disease in 2024, compared to 2022 and 2023 with two and seven deaths reported respectively.

Concerns for children

The NCDC data raises concern about the susceptibility of young children to the disease.

Out of the total 64 confirmed cases recorded in 2024, children below age five accounted for the highest cases with a total of 15 confirmed cases.

Reacting to the pattern of Mpox cases in Nigeria, the Country Director for Busara Centre for Behavioral Economics, a civil society group, Mohammed Alhaji, in a Linkedin post, observed the need to initiate strategies to prevent children from the disease.

Source: NCDC Situation Report, Epi-Week 36

He wrote: “I have been monitoring the historical pattern of mpox cases in Nigeria, with a specific focus on age distribution. Although it may be too early to draw conclusions, it appears that the current outbreak is the first where children are the most affected.

“If this is indeed the case, there is an urgent need to develop strategies to prevent further escalation in this vulnerable age group. vulnerable age group.”

In her comment, the Resident Advisor of the Media EIS fellowship and Public Health Physician, Olayinka Badmus, said: “Indeed, we should be worried about children. Not only are they the most affected, most of the cases co-exist with chicken pox. Unfortunately, I don’t see how the education and health sectors are working together to focus on this key population.”

2024 outbreak

Mpox is an infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus. It can cause a painful rash, enlarged lymph nodes and fever. Most people fully recover, but some get very sick.

The disease can spread from animals to humans and between humans through close contact, respiratory droplets, and contaminated objects.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recently declared it a global public health emergency.

While the Democratic Republic of Congo is the epicentre of the outbreak in Africa, Mpox has been reported in at least 14 African countries.

To reduce transmission and contain the outbreak, WHO on Friday announced the approval of the MVA-BN vaccine as the first vaccine against Mpox to be added to its prequalification list.

Nigeria recently received a donation of 10,000 doses of Jynneos, a Mpox vaccine, from the United States government.

On 5 September, Africa CDC also announced the arrival of the first shipment of 99,100 doses of the Jynneos Mpox vaccine to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).