The State Katsina Government says it has recorded the first case of monkeypox outbreak in the State.
The Commissioner for Health, Yakubu Danja, made the disclosure during the launching of the distribution of medicare and free medicines to 34 local Government Areas and the opening of a call centre in the state
He said the government has proactively activated all emergency response teams to curtail the further spread of monkeypox in the State.
According to him, “The State has about 15 suspected cases whose samples have been taken to Abuja, and are awaiting the results.
He added: “To proactively deal with the disease, as well as cholera and other rainy season-related diseases, the State Government has decided to distribute medicines to the 34 local government areas.”
Similarly, the Commissioner inspected the fully equipped Emergency Operations Centre, called the ‘Call Centre’ and the 140 solar direct drive vaccine refrigerators donated by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, to ensure vaccine potency, and to reduce the cost of distribution.
In his remark, the Executive Secretary of Katsina State Primary Health Care Development Agency, PHCDA, Dr Shamsudeen Yahaya noted that all the interventions, especially the distribution of medicare in the state are to be readily proactive against any unforeseen circumstances, especially with the setting in of the rainy season.
Truthlive.net gathered that the call centre is expected to serve as a mechanism to log field or community reports on suspected diseases or deaths and enhance the ability for the early detection, prevention and response to disease outbreaks, or other events of public health importance.