A medical laboratory scientist with the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Nnewi, Anambra State, Mr Charles Nwoye, has said that containment of the reported outbreak of monkeypox epidemic would be easy, if government could show willpower in that regard.

Nwoye stated this when journalists interviewed him on the fears in town about the reported outbreak of monkeypox in some parts of the country.

The laboratory scientist, who is also South East coordinator of Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals, said capacity-wise, the epidemic could be managed and controlled if government could release the needed funds and logistics targeted at that.

“As far as I’m concerned, Nigeria has all the needed capacity to contain an epidemic like monkeypox. Medical laboratory science is one of the interior parts of medicine. We are a part of healthcare service delivery.

“Without us nothing much could be achieved medically. Monkeypox, as we know, is an infection that could be controlled even with vaccines. A medical laboratory scientist is one of the major professionals needed for that control. Medical lab science is the key area for the production of vaccines,” he said.

He said medical laboratory scientists were responsible for the production of vaccines used to kick out the smallpox virus in Nigeria and other West African countries sometime in the past.

Nwoye explained that other West African countries could source their smallpox vaccines from Nigeria, and noted that for Nigeria to buy its Covid-19 vaccines from other parts of the world showed that there was no political willpower on the part of the leaders to begin the production of the drug in the country. (Sunday Sun)

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