Olufemi Olulaja, a health expert, is worried about Monkeypox spreading in Nigeria. Nigeria first had Monkeypox in 1971, but it keeps coming back. People have even died from it.
Olulaja, who also works with the Illinois Public Health Association, is upset that not many Nigerians know much about Monkeypox. He talked about this at a health meeting in Lagos organized by STAR Healthcare Consultancy. He said it’s really important for people to learn more about this virus.
Olulaja believes that if more Nigerians know what Monkeypox is and how it spreads, they can help stop it. He says spreading information about the virus in ways that people understand is key.
“The easiest and cheapest way to stop Monkeypox is to teach people about it,” he said. “We need to give information in local languages that people are used to. This way, they will understand and take it seriously.”
He thinks this will not only educate people but also make them feel respected. It will show that their culture matters in this fight against Monkeypox.
“Most Monkeypox cases happen in the southern part of Nigeria. To inform people there, we should use newspapers, social media, and TV because that’s how they get news,” he explained. “In the north, radios are popular, so we should use them to spread the message about Monkeypox.”
Olulaja also said that using different ways to share information will help more people learn about the disease. This will help stop it from spreading.
He stressed that the government and news organizations need to focus on giving good health information. “People need to know important things like what causes Monkeypox, how it spreads, early signs, and how to prevent it. They should also know what to do if they get sick and what the government is doing to stop the outbreak,” he said.
He added that right now, health messages usually miss some of these key points. This needs to change so more people understand the disease.
Olulaja also mentioned that when it comes to teaching people about Monkeypox, we need to work as hard as we did for COVID-19. Nigeria did a big job to spread information about COVID-19, and it helped people follow safety rules.
“We need to do the same for Monkeypox,” he said. “If we can spread the word well, fewer people will get sick, and we can control the disease better.”