The Cross River State government and the Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS) have joined forces to tame the spread of Mpox in the State.
The development is coming on the heels of the training of over 200 community-based volunteers from across seven Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Ogoja in Northern Cross River State.
These volunteers are drawn from Akamkpa, Akpabuyo, Calabar South, Calabar Municipality, Ogoja, Yala and Obudu LGAs.
The training, conducted in three regional clusters, provided hands-on guidance from Cross River State top public health officers, including Mrs. Inyang Ekpenyong Ekpo, State Epidemiologist, and Mrs. Christiana A. Ugbong, State Disease Surveillance and Notification Officer.
The overall aim of training is to empower local communities to actively participate in the State’s Mpox response through Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE), and surveillance.
The Southern Cluster Red Cross Branch Chairman, Dr. Chris-Valentine Enerji, in his welcome remarks, charged participants to give their best during their field activity.
Also speaking, Inyang Ekpenyong Ekpo, State Epidemiologist, said their involvement with the training underscored the state’s commitment to curbing the spread of Mpox and supporting local efforts.
Cross River State has so far seen 117 suspected cases of the dreaded disease out of which 14 have been confirmed.
The trained local volunteers are expected to play a critical role in educating their communities, carrying out house-to-house sensitization, case searches, contact tracing, and psychosocial support for those affected by the disease.
