NAIROBI, Kenya – Kenya, the East African economic hub, is ramping up its preparedness and response to Mpox.
The zoonotic disease was first identified in 1958 in monkeys raised in laboratories.
The world’s earliest occurrences were documented in the early 1970s, involving people who had interacted with wild animals.
In Kenya, the Director General of Health, Dr Patrick Amoth, has emphasised the urgency of decisive action and robust partnerships.
Drawing lessons from the deadly COVID-19 pandemic, Dr Amoth highlighted the critical importance of early intervention to prevent a broader outbreak.
Although only one confirmed case has been reported in the country, the rise in cases across other parts of Africa has spurred calls for increased vigilance.
A stakeholder meeting in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, on Monday, August 12, focused on enhancing the country’s national response strategy to Mpox.
Dr Amoth also underscored the importance of monitoring entry points to control any potential spread of the disease.
“Taking action now is essential to protect our population and prevent a potential outbreak,” Dr Amoth advised.
Y News has established that Mpox (formally Monkey Pox) is a viral infection that has caused mild disease in the African region for decades.
Sexual and bodily fluid contact are the two main ways the infectious virus can spread from one individual to another.
Scientists now know of two strains of the virus. Clade 2, primarily found in West Africa, is more hazardous than Clade 1, which originates in the Congo Basin.
In 2022, the milder one sparked a global outbreak that impacted the US, Europe, Australia, and many others.
However, the ongoing Mpox outbreak in Africa highlights the global threat of pandemics.
The Africa Centre for Disease Control (CDC) declared Mpox a Continental Security Public Health Emergency.
With 2,863 confirmed cases and 517 deaths across 13 African countries in 2024 alone, the African Center for Policy and Advocacy (ACPA) states that Mpox is a crisis demanding our collective action.
Y News notes that its symptoms are primarily a rash and fever—rashes may start in the face and then progress to the body’s hands and feet.
Does it kill?
Most diseases self-limit in 2-4 weeks, but some may lead to death (4-5 cases out of 100 could end up in death).
What do we do to prevent it?
Most people recover on their own without treatment, though the disease can sometimes lead to medical complications in people with weakened immune systems.
Your healthcare provider will inform you if you should be cared for in a hospital or home. If at home, isolate until your rash has cleared and your scans have fallen off.
Wash hands with soap and water or sanitiser (just like for COVID-19).
Is there treatment?
Still needs to be made available. However, it’s advisable to avoid scratching your skin, clean rashes with sterilised water or antiseptic, and wash your hands regularly. Saltwater rinses can be used for mouth lesions, and medication for pain and fever can relieve some symptoms.
Is there a vaccine?
Since there is no known vaccine or treatment for Mpox, medics are utilising antivirals and the smallpox vaccine in place of Mpox due to the disease’s similar resemblance to the long-eradicated smallpox virus.
Since there is neither a vaccine nor a specific medication for Mpox, identifying the disease as an emergency necessitates coordinated efforts to combat it.
Furthermore, youngsters, expecting mothers, and those with weakened immune systems may be at risk from the illness, experts have said.
So, if you experience Mpox-like symptoms, such as a rash with blisters, swollen lymph nodes, and fever, you are advised to seek medical attention for effective treatment.
What has WHO said about Mpox outbreak in Africa
The World Health Organisation (WHO) issued a high-level alert regarding the deteriorating circumstances on Wednesday, August 14, 2024, announcing that the Mpox outbreak in Africa had become a worldwide public health emergency.
The WHO convened a conference of specialists to investigate the outbreak and recommend a solution to Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the UN health agency.
“The emergency committee met today and informed me that, in their opinion, the current state of affairs represents a public health emergency of global importance. I’ve taken that advice to heart,” Tedros declared at a press conference.
On the other hand, the African Red Cross said it was stepping up its readiness efforts, especially in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a particularly hard-hit nation.
The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies expressed “deep concern” about the virus’s spread.
The IFRC stated that it was ready to “play a crucial role in containing the spread of the disease, even in the hard-to-reach areas where the need is the greatest” because of its extensive network.
