Concerns over mpox outbreak in Africa File image
THE recent rise of mpox cases in Africa has the continent under the World Health Organization’s (WHO) microscope, this after recently declaring the disease a “public health emergency”.
A panel of experts assembled by the Global Virus Network, which had public participation, discussed the surge of mpox cases around the world.
The panellists were Dr Salim Karim and other GVN experts
During the webinar, the public’s concerns were tabled by the WHO’s Dr Lorenzo Subissi.
Subissi said the recent July stats showed a spike in infections, mainly in the DRC, which accounted for 90% of the cases in the region.
“The overall number of cases in Africa is low but rising. Confirmed cases may not reflect the true number of cases. In all countries, there is a need to promote active surveillance and encourage reporting of case-based data.
“We are doing our best to support them through lab reagents. I think one key player is also Africa, with whom we work very closely, and that is working really hard on this as well. So we’ll learn in the next six months about what's going on in Africa regarding mpox, because I see a lot of commitment from them,” said Subissi.
According to WHO, South Africa’s surveillance has outbreak response teams deployed and supporting outbreak investigations, ongoing contact tracing and active case search with the generation of weekly national mpox situation reports being produced.
The Department of Health said they were working with WHO’s Country Office, National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) and Border Management Authority to intensify epidemiological and surveillance, contact tracing and health screening activities for case investigation and early detection of new positive cases in the country.
This could be the reason the department is not concerned by the rising number of cases in parts of Africa, and not wanting to alarm citizens.
“The Department of Health would like to assure the public that the current mpox outbreak remains under control in the country. However, that does not mean people should become complacent because we have learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic that viruses are unpredictable and mutate from time to time.
“The country remains on high alert in case of a surge in mpox cases and emergence of new contagious strains. Members of the public are urged to play their part and support the country's response efforts to prevent the spread of mpox by maintaining non-pharmaceutical measures including personal hygiene,” said Foster Mohale, the department’s spokesperson.
He said although the WHO declared mpox a public health emergency, it does not mean trade and travel restrictions but rather that South Africa and other countries should work together to fast-track the approval of a mpox vaccine and treatment.
This was further emphasised by Tshifhiwa Tshivengwa, chairperson of the SADC Business Council Tourism Alliance.
“We take these declarations seriously and commend the proactive approach of global and regional health authorities. However, it’s crucial to understand that the risk to travellers in Southern Africa remains low.
The department reiterated that travellers experiencing mpox-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention to prevent possible cross-border transmission.
The total number of positive cases recorded in the country stands at 24, including 3 deaths, 19 recoveries and two active cases undergoing home isolation. Twelve of those cases were reported in Gauteng, 11 in KwaZulu-Natal and one in the Western Cape.
As of August 22, there have been more than 14 000 reported cases in Africa, with 457 deaths.