Experts discuss the increase in cases of monkeypox and Lassa fever

As Nigeria continues to see an increase in cases of cholera, monkeypox, and Lassa fever along with a rise in COVID-19 cases, infectious disease experts have stated that there is no end in sight to the numerous infectious disease outbreaks.

They claim that this is brought on by an increase in interactions between people and rodents, poor housing conditions, and squalor.

"Our strategy has not demonstrated that as a nation, we have learned anything. It is obvious that infectious outbreaks are not over yet. Though there may be sporadic outbreaks, it is clear that the plan and preparation are insufficient every time we go into panic mode. Ideally, we shouldn't be experiencing so many outbreaks.In 33 states, there have been 182 suspected cases of Lassa fever; in 30 states, there have been 2,339 suspected cases of cholera and 74 fatalities; and in 16 states, there have been 41 suspected cases of monkeypox.

A public health physician and infectious disease expert, Prof Bayo Onajole, said, “We cannot stop disease occurrence because it is in equilibrium.

“All these things are natural phenomena that occur. Some of these diseases have always been there but on a small scale. Just like human beings don’t want to die, all these organisms don’t want to die too, so they keep mutating and trying to find better ways to survive.