The Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) is training approximately 50 Port Health Services staff as part of efforts to prevent infectious diseases, including Monkeypox (Mpox) and Ebola, from entering Nigeria.
The ongoing training is organised by the Port Health Services of the FMoH in collaboration with the Nigerian Red Cross.
The workshop, themed “3-Day Capacity Building for Port Health Staff,” aims to equip 50 health workers from all geopolitical zones with the skills to prevent the transmission of Mpox, Ebola, and other infectious diseases.
Dr Nse Akpan, Director of Port Health Services, emphasised the importance of controlling diseases at points of entry to keep Nigeria safe.
He noted that the training would ensure health workers at entry points were equipped with a revised curriculum and would conduct step-down training to stay updated on the signs and symptoms of infectious diseases.
“Our duty is to ensure that we monitor all points of entry in Nigeria airports, seaports, and land crossings to stop infectious diseases before they enter the country.
“We ask for yellow cards and conduct screenings for people, animals, and goods entering Nigeria as part of our surveillance efforts,”Akpan stated.
Akpan also urged Nigerians to practice good hygiene and encouraged residents, particularly those in border communities, to be vigilant and report any suspected cases of infectious diseases to the nearest health facility.
Dr Manir Jega, Director of Programme Support at the Nigerian Red Cross, highlighted the importance of training health workers, who are the first responders in disease outbreaks.
He said that the Red Cross, with support from the International Federation of Red Cross and the Norwegian Red Cross, had trained health workers to respond to Mpox and other infectious diseases.
“The Red Cross has deployed more than 800 volunteers across 23 states for house-to-house sensitisation, teaching residents how to recognise symptoms and what actions to take.”
Jega also mentioned that the Red Cross supports the government by providing preventive supplies such as face masks, disinfectants, and soap.
Florence Pwana, training focal person for Port Health Services in Abuja, said that the workshop would heighten awareness among health personnel regarding ongoing infectious diseases in countries such as Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
