Red Cross trains volunteers to fight against M-pox outbreak

The Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS), in collaboration with the Cross River State Ministry of Health, has trained 200 community-based volunteers to respond to the M-pox outbreak in parts of the state.

Mrs Inyang Ekpo, State Epidemiologist and one of the facilitators, said the training focused on Risk Communication, Community Engagement (RCCE), and surveillance.

The volunteers, selected from endemic Local Government Areas (LGAs), were trained on Monday in Calabar on ways to halt the disease’s spread.

“The volunteers acquired vital skills in educating the public on M-pox prevention, detecting new cases, tracing contacts of infected individuals, and providing emotional support to those affected.”

Mrs Christiana Ugbong from the State Disease Surveillance and Notification Office (DSNO) noted that the volunteers would serve as frontline workers in combating the disease, offering localised solutions to a pressing public health issue.

“The involvement of trained community members is crucial in reaching more people in affected areas, where local knowledge and trust are vital in ensuring the success of disease containment efforts,” she said.

The volunteers, drawn from eight LGAs, including Akamkpa, Akpabuyo, Ogoja, Obudu, Yala, and Calabar South, lauded the training as timely.

They added that the training was essential in curbing the disease’s spread in Cross River’s hard-to-reach areas and forest communities.