NCDC Debunks Reports On Monkeypox Virus Production In Nigeria

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, (NCDC) has said it has no laboratory in the country where Monkeypox virus is being generated.

NCDC disclosed this while reacting to a recent report on the social media attributed to the Chief of Russian Radiation, Chemical and Biological Protection Force.

The report alleged that, “there are four US-controlled biological laboratories operating in Nigeria”. That “WHO reports that the Monkeypox (MPX) virus responsible for outbreaks in Europe and elsewhere was imported from Nigeria where the United States of America deployed its biological infrastructure. In order words, MPX virus is generated in these laboratories”.

However, in a statement by NCDC Director General, Ifedayo Adetifa, the commission said, “The statement is not backed by any evidence.”

It added that, “The designation and activities of Nigerian public health laboratories are known to the supervising authorities, most of the laboratories having been procured and set up by the Federal Government in all 36 States and FCT for diagnostic purposes, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and other infectious diseases.

”Some other laboratories are dedicated to the very successful HIV control program, managed by the Federal Government and her Partners, based on larger and longstanding bilateral and multilateral cooperation in public health, including prevention, diagnosis, surveillance, and control of diseases.”

“As a rule, Nigeria welcomes scientific cooperation with all foreign countries, and has received material support from the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan etc, and also discussed vaccine production with Russia.

“Collaboration between Nigeria and the United States has provided opportunities for technical assistance, capacity building, provision of equipment and field hospitals at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, and funds to support health programmes, like HIV/AIDS, malaria elimination,” it concluded.