No need to panic over Mpox, says Government

Raymond Jaravaza, [email protected]
GOVERNMENT has allayed public anxiety over any potential spread of Mpox disease after two isolated cases were confirmed on Sunday for the first time in the country.

The situation remains under control as comprehensive surveillance measures have been put in place to protect Zimbabweans, and should need be, isolation centres used during the Covid-19 period will be activated to cater for the infected, the Ministry of Health and Child Care has said.

Two isolated Mpox cases were officially reported in Harare and Mberengwa, as Zimbabwe joined the list of 17 other African countries that have recorded cases of the contagious disease.

Yesterday the Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care, Sleiman Timios Kwidini, reaffirmed that the Government was fully prepared to deal with the disease having activated all its protective systems.

“As the Honourable Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora indicated on Monday, the nation must not panic as the two cases of Mpox that were recorded in Mberengwa and Harare are both in isolation receiving the appropriate care,” said Kwidini.

“As Government, we must, however, always stay a step ahead when dealing with outbreaks of diseases that have the potential to spread quickly. So, isolation centres around the country will be set up.

“We have isolation centres that were used during the Covid-19 era, which the ministry will look at with a view to see how they can be equipped and turned into Mpox isolation centres.

“It’s important to stress that the Government is on top of the situation as all structures have been put on high alert.

“Testing and screening teams are on the ground at all ports of entry and in the case of the reported Mpox patients, teams that we call ‘Case Contact Trackers’ are working to make sure that every person who came into contact with the two individuals are accounted for.”

Mpox was declared a global public health emergency by the World Health Organisation in August after a new clade 1b strain of the viral infection spread from the Democratic Republic of Congo to neighbouring African countries.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) also declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS)
to the Africa CDC, the African region had recorded 37 325 suspected cases of Mpox and 996 deaths as of September 29.

The number of confirmed cases stands at 7 535 and 32 deaths. A majority of the cases have been identified in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Deputy Minister Kwidini, said the ministry was counting on the presence of village health workers in all the country’s 35 000 wards to disseminate information and encourage community members to go to their nearest clinics when they notice unfamiliar symptoms that could point out to a Mpox infection.

Village health workers were trained by the Ministry of Health and Child Care, which conducted an initial eight-week training of practical and theory lessons.

“Village health workers are directly supervised by the nurse-in-charge at the local clinic in their wards and because they are on the ground, the ministry counts on their presence to spread information about Mpox,” said Kwidini.

“The public is encouraged to seek medical attention when they experience symptoms such as blisters that appear on the face, inside the mouth and other parts of the body.

“Other symptoms might include swollen lymph nodes, a sore throat and a cough.”

The City of Bulawayo recently issued a statement warning residents to be vigilant against the viral disease, formerly called Monkeypox.

The warning from the council came after cases of the viral disease were detected in neighbouring South Africa.

A huge population of Zimbabweans lives and works in South Africa and frequently travels between the two countries.

As the festive season approaches, a lot of people will be travelling back home for the Christmas and New Year holidays. Cross-border truck drivers also travel to the Democratic Republic of Congo, an epicentre of the disease and pass through Zimbabwe en route to South Africa.

“Mpox spreads through close contact with an infected person or animal or through contaminated materials.

“It can also spread through direct contact with body fluids, skin lesions or respiratory droplets from an infected person.

“It also spreads through prolonged face-to-face contact such as during coughing or sneezing as well physical contact with the infected person’s rash or sores,” said the council.

The municipality health directorate also warned that contact with infected animals such as rodents or primates can result in a person being infected with the viral disease.