The Delta Government says it has entered into a partnership with the Nigeria Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) in its commitment towards the prevention of new and re-emerging infectious diseases in the state.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Nicholas Azinge, disclosed this on Tuesday in Asaba at one-day training on Monkey pox disease organised for healthcare workers in the state.
He noted that the partnership with the NIMR would help for early diagnoses and research on infectious diseases in the state.
Azinge said the establishment of NIMR’s sub-station in the state, which covers states in the South-South zone, has afforded Delta to leverage on the institute’s available skilled human resources.
According to him, the availability of both skilled human resources and infrastructure has provided the state the platform to enable it address issues concerning management and control of infectious diseases.
The commissioner was represented at the event by the Director of Public Health, state Ministry of Health, Dr Philomena Okeowo.
He said the objectives of the training on Monkey pox and other infectious disease include the sensitisation of healthcare workers on the prevention and control of infectious disease, and how to handle suspected cases.
Azinge disclosed that the training would keep the participants abreast on how to contain infectious diseases, carry out outbreak investigations and know the due processes as regards the flow of reports and collection of specimen.
He said that though no death has been recorded so far in the state, however, the state government has made provisions for free treatment of detected cases of monkey pox disease in both public and private health facilities.
The commissioner said that the Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa-led administration in the state has supported all diseases outbreak intervention in the state through the procurements and prepositioning of outbreak management materials.
According to him, the state government efforts has helped for the detection and management of the disease, provision of logistics for border patrols through migration or displacement of people from neighbouring or other states of the federation.
Azinge said that other measures aimed at addressing the disease by the state government include the activation of the State Rapid Response Team, sensitization/mobilisation of Disease Surveillance and Notification Officers (DSNOs).
He said the DSNOs are positions in all the 25 local government areas of the State working in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Dr Anastacia Ojimba, a Consultant Public Health Physician, Federal Medical Centre, (FMC) Asaba, also made a presentation.
Not less than 135 medical workers drawn from 64 government hospitals, Delta State Teaching Hospital, Oghara, and Federal Medical Centre, Asaba, participated in the training.
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