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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has mandated all travellers entering the country to fill and submit a health declaration form following the outbreak of monkeypox (Mpox) in some parts of Africa.
The ministry stated this in a statement posted on its website, on Sunday.
The ministry said the directive, instituted to curb the spread of the disease, takes effect on Sunday, August 11, 2024 for passengers arriving the airports in Abuja and Lagos.
Travellers can access and fill the form online or print and fill a physical copy.
The ministry encouraged all passengers to fill and submit the form online before departing their locations to avoid delays upon arriving in Nigeria.
“The Nigeria Health Declaration Form must be filled out by all incoming passengers to Nigeria. Paper-based versions will be provided on arrival in Nigeria for passengers unable to fill the form.
“This form is an instituted measure to prevent the spread, monitor the possible importation of infectious diseases and aid the control of disease outbreaks thereby protecting the health of all Nigerians,” the statement said.
The form requires personal information of the traveller as well as the traveller’s health and contact history in the 21 days preceding their arrival.
The Africa Centre for Disease Control (ACDC) had lasr Friday said it will likely declare a public health emergency of continental security (PHECS) over mpox in the coming week.
This is because a new variant of the disease known as Clade Ib is spreading, mostly in Congo.
Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya have also reported cases of the new variant since mid-July.
The Director-General of ACDC, Jean Kaseya, said on Thursday that reported cases on the continent had risen by 79 per cent from 2022-2023 and by 160 per cent from 2023-2024.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has also said that Africa is experiencing an unprecedented rise in cases this year.
