The US has donated 10,000 doses of Jynneos vaccine to Nigeria in the fight against monkeypox.

• Prof. Muhammad Pate, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, during a handover ceremony in Abuja on Tuesday, commended the U.S. government for the donation.

Pate, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Daju Kachollom, said Nigerian government was committed to improving public health.

While commending the US government for the kind gesture, pate said, “This is a spirit of cooperation and collaboration through the years, and this vaccine will be of great help to us.

“The Federal Ministry of Health understands the importance of having a healthy nation, so all the policies that we implement and the collaborations are focused on ensuring our citizens’ health.”

The minister UNICEF, WHO, USAID and other development partners for their unwavering support.

The Jynneos vaccine, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, is designed to prevent smallpox and monkeypox in adults aged 18 and older who are at risk of infection.

Monkeypox is a rare viral zoonotic disease that affects remote villages in Central and West Africa near tropical rainforests.

It is caused by the monkeypox virus, which belongs to the orthopoxvirus genus, including smallpox and cowpox.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, has on August 13, declared monkeypox a public health emergency.

As of last Friday, Nigeria’s Centre for Disease Control and Prevention(NCDC) reported 40 confirmed cases of monkeypox out of 830 suspected cases nationwide.