The Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights (ZADHR) has asked the government to improve its monitoring and response to the monkeypox (mpox) outbreak.
This request comes after the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared mpox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
In a statement on August 21, ZADHR urged the Ministry of Health and Child Care to increase public awareness about the virus. It said:
Since the outbreak of COVID-19, Zimbabwe has significantly strengthened its emergency preparedness and response mechanisms.
We believe lessons learnt in responding to COVID-19 can go a long way in enhancing the preparedness and response to Mpox.
Therefore, with cases being reported in other parts of the World and Africa specifically; and zero cases reported in Zimbabwe to date, ZADHR urges the government of Zimbabwe through the Ministry of Health and Child Care to enhance Mpox surveillance, diagnostics, treatment and care facilities and awareness of the disease.
ZADHR encourages citizens to take precautions related to the monkeypox virus based on the most current advice from the Ministry of Health and Child Care and from public health officials.
As with COVID-19 ZADHR will continue to monitor the response and make recommendations to ensure that no lives are lost due to MPOX in Zimbabwe.
Monkeypox is a viral disease that can spread from animals to humans and also between people through close contact with an infected person or objects such as bedsheets or clothing.
Common symptoms include fever, swollen lymph nodes, pain when swallowing, pustules on the skin, and lesions around the genitals and anus.
According to a report issued by the Africa CDC on August 16, there have been 18 737 Mpox cases (3101 confirmed and 15 636 suspected) across 12 African countries since the beginning of the year, resulting in 541 deaths.
Despite the outbreak in other parts of the world and Africa specifically, Zimbabwe has not yet experienced any confirmed cases of the viral disease.
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