WHO Declares Monkey Pox Public Health Emergency, Malaysia Reports 9 Cases To Date
Malaysia has recorded a total of nine mpox cases since the first case was detected in July last year,
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The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially declared the monkeypox or mpox situation a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), marking the highest level of alarm under international health law.
This decision underscores the global seriousness of the outbreak and the need for a coordinated response.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus drew attention to the rise in mpox cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo and a growing number of other African countries.
This declaration of mpox’s status is the second to be made in two years.
The disease is caused by an Orthopoxvirus and was first detected in humans in 1970 in Congo.
The WHO had declared a public health emergency of international concern in July 2022 over mpox as it was spreading rapidly through sexual contact across countries where the virus had never been detected before.
That PHEIC was declared over in May 2023 after there had been a sustained decline in global cases.
WHO
According to the organization, there was a rapid spread of a new mpox strain in Congo last year called “clade 1b”, which appears to be spreading mainly through sexual networks, and its detection in countries neighbouring Congo is especially concerning, and one of the main reasons for the declaration of a new PHEIC.
In response to the escalating situation, the WHO has developed a regional response plan that requires an initial funding of US$15 million.
The plan aims to enhance surveillance, ensure the availability of vaccines, and provide necessary support to affected countries.
Malaysia’s mpox cases
As of now, Malaysia has recorded a total of nine mpox cases since the first case was detected on 26 July, 2023.
The last reported case occurred in November of the same year. According to the Ministry of Health (MOH), all reported cases involved individuals with a history of high-risk activities.
Fortunately, all the patients have recovered, and no deaths have been reported.
MOH has assured that there have been no new imported mpox cases.
However, the MOH has advised Malaysians traveling to countries with reported mpox cases to maintain a healthy lifestyle and avoid engaging in risky activities to prevent infection.
In a related development, the European Union (EU) has announced plans to send 175,420 doses of mpox vaccines to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
Additionally, pharmaceutical company Bavarian Nordic, the manufacturer of the mpox vaccine, will donate 40,000 doses to the EU Health Emergency Response Authority (HERA) to aid in the global fight against the disease.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control assured they were monitoring the clade outbreak in Africa.
Their assessment remained that the risk of the spread to the general population in Europe was low.
They will however work with regional partners and issue an updated risk assessment.
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