NCDC: Nigeria has no laboratory where Monkeypox is generated

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has dismissed the report that Nigeria has laboratories where Monkeypox virus is generated.

The NCDC made the clarification via its website on Tuesday, as the country continued to report sporadic cases of Monkeypox since January 2022.

According to the report by ANI/Sputnik, the Russian Parliamentary Commission for investigating the work of US biological laboratories in Ukraine is planning to discuss information from the Russian Defense Ministry regarding alleged US-controlled laboratories in Nigeria.

The Chief of Russian Radiation, Chemical and Biological Protection Force, Igor Kirillov, was quoted as alleging that “there are four US-controlled biological laboratories operating in Nigeria. The 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 other words, MPX virus is generated in these laboratories.”

However, the NCDC, on Tuesday, said that the statement was not backed by any evidence.

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

The agency further stated that some other laboratories are dedicated to the very successful HIV control programme, 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,” NCDC noted.

The Star