Chronicle Editor
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, [email protected]
MATABELELAND South Province, which is home to five border posts, among them Beitbridge Border Post, the country’s busiest, has heightened its vigilance against the potential spread of Mpox.
Given the high traffic through these border posts, particularly Beitbridge, which serves as a critical gateway for goods and people between Zimbabwe and its neighbouring countries, the province has been identified as a high-risk area for the transmission of Mpox.
In response, health authorities, border officials, and other relevant stakeholders in the province have intensified monitoring and preparedness efforts.
They have collaborated to develop a comprehensive strategic plan aimed at preventing the virus from entering and spreading within the region.
The Ministry of Health and Child Care is presently updating its Mpox preparedness and response plan, in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other partners.
The country’s healthcare system is being fortified to respond effectively to Mpox cases.
Healthcare workers are set to undergo training on disease recognition and management while Government laboratories are being equipped with necessary reagents to diagnose infections.
The authorities are also planning to roll out a mass vaccination programme targeting those at the risk of contracting the virus once the country receives its consignment of vaccines from the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
So far, no case of Mpox has been reported in the country.
During a recent stakeholders’ meeting in Gwanda, Matabeleland South Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Dr Evelyn Ndlovu emphasised the importance of having a strategic plan in place for the province, particularly given its significant border traffic.
The meeting was attended by officials from the Ministry of Health and Child Care, the immigration department, and the security sector.
“We saw it prudent to meet as a province to manage and control Mpox which is affecting the entire world. We have to come up with a strategic plan on how to protect Matabeleland South and the country at large,” she said.
“This virus is now at arm’s length. We have five border posts, which are very busy as tourists are coming through them. If we put in place an effective strategy to prevent this virus from coming through our borders then we would have saved the nation.”
Acting Provincial Medical Director for Matabeleland South, Dr Andrew Muza, provided an overview of Mpox, including its signs, symptoms, and healthcare tips. He also outlined a response plan that the province hopes to adopt.
“Our province remains at risk because we have five borders with one of the busiest entry points in SADC being Beitbridge Border Post. We have trucks that are moving from endemic areas that are passing through our country going to South Africa, thus putting us at risk,” he said.
“We need to have an emergency preparedness and response plan that is specific to Mpox. We also need to preposition equipment at our ports of entry and ensure that we have test kits, including PPEs for everyone who works at the ports of entry.”
Dr Muza said they are also looking at training health care workers on clinical health management and infection prevention and control.
He highlighted the importance of screening at ports of entry for people coming from high-risk areas and emphasised the need to disseminate information to border control staff and travellers.
Although the province has not recorded any confirmed cases, ongoing surveillance has identified some suspected cases that are under investigation pending official results.
The regional immigration office-in-charge of Beitbridge Border Post, Mr Joshua Chibundu said they are working closely with the Ministry of Health and Child Care to ensure that every traveller is rigorously screened upon arrival at the border.
“Securing thermo scanners is crucial as the Beitbridge Border Post handles an average of 12 000 people daily with the number increasing to18 000 during peak periods such as public holidays days,” he said.
On August 13, the Africa CDC declared Mpox, previously known as monkey pox, a public health emergency of continental security in Africa.
Mpox is a viral illness that can cause a rash, fever and other symptoms. The virus can be transmitted through close contact with an infected person or animal.
From January 2022 to August this year over 120 countries had recorded Mpox cases with over 100 000 cases having being confirmed through laboratory tests. Over 200 deaths have been reported so far globally.
In the SADC region, South Africa and Mozambique have recorded Mpox cases.
Online Reporter