South Africa’s National Department of Health has responded decisively to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recent classification of mpox as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), bolstering health screenings and protocols at its borders. In a statement released on Friday, department spokesperson Foster Mohale emphasised the importance of international cooperation, particularly in light of the WHO’s pronouncement.
Mohale underscored the inherent challenges in completely curbing cross-border transmission of diseases, acknowledging that “diseases have no boundaries.” He announced that, in partnership with the Border Management Authority, South Africa has escalated health surveillance measures at all ports of entry to prevent the further spread of mpox. This comes as South Africa records 24 confirmed cases of the virus, resulting in three fatalities, with two additional cases currently under isolation.
Travellers exhibiting symptoms consistent with mpox, such as fever, lymphadenopathy, and skin rashes, will be promptly referred to nearby health facilities, Mohale stated. This precautionary measure is designed to mitigate the risk of importation and transmission within the country’s borders.
The WHO’s declaration, mirrored by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), is seen by Mohale as a critical “clarion call” for heightened global collaboration. Such declarations, he noted, streamline communication with vaccine manufacturers, thereby accelerating the approval processes for mpox treatments and vaccines. The urgency is compounded by the ongoing pandemic, which has laid bare the vulnerabilities in global health systems and the dire need for robust, cross-border responses to emerging infectious diseases.
To date, South Africa has received two consignments of mpox treatments from the WHO, amounting to 30 to 40 doses. However, Mohale intimated that further bilateral and multilateral engagements, including with the WHO and the African Union, are anticipated to ensure that African nations are not left at the periphery of global health strategies. The necessity for rapid vaccine deployment is underscored by the fact that all confirmed mpox cases in South Africa have been among males, some of whom are also living with other conditions such as HIV, which may exacerbate the disease’s impact.
The current mpox outbreak is viewed by health experts as a continuation of the 2022 epidemic, with the Africa CDC reporting approximately 38,465 cases and 1,456 deaths across the continent since January 2022. Sixteen countries, spanning all five regions of Africa, have been affected, with the Democratic Republic of the Congo bearing the brunt of the outbreak.
Mpox, an infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus, is transmitted through close physical contact and presents with symptoms including fever, lymph node swelling, sore throat, muscle aches, and a characteristic skin rash. The WHO’s PHEIC declaration is expected to galvanise efforts to secure and distribute vaccines, as well as to foster a more coordinated global response to the outbreak.
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