Katsina State has confirmed its first monkeypox case, with the patient treated and discharged.
The Commissioner for Health, Yakubu Danja, made the confirmation during the launch of the distribution of medicare and free medicines to the 34 local government areas and call centres.
He said the government has proactively activated all emergency response teams, to curtail further spread in the state.
According to the Health Commissioner, the state has about 15 suspected cases, whose samples have been taken to Abuja, and are awaiting the results.
He added that 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.
The Commissioner also 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.
The Executive Secretary of Katsina State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Shamsudeen Yahaya, said 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.
The commissioned Call Centre will 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.
