By A Correspondent| Health advocates in Zimbabwe are expressing concern over the rising cases of monkeypox (Mpox) across Africa, even though the country has yet to record a single case.
The continent has seen a significant increase in Mpox cases and deaths since January this year. To date, 17,541 Mpox cases have been reported, with 2,822 confirmed and 14,719 suspected cases. A total of 517 deaths, with a case fatality rate of 2.95%, have been reported in 13 African Union (AU) member states.
Community Working Group on Health executive director Itai Rusike told NewsDay that the spread of Mpox to several African countries is “very worrying” and urged Zimbabwe to take immediate precautions to protect its citizens and save lives.
“We have just come out of the devastating COVID-19 pandemic, and there is a need to upgrade our surveillance and tracking systems, especially along the porous land borders, to ensure that everyone who comes into the country is properly monitored,” Rusike said.
He also praised Zimbabwe’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, noting, “We hope that we can continue to use that experience for strengthening the preventive measures that are required to deal with Mpox.”
Rusike further emphasized the importance of remaining vigilant despite the absence of confirmed Mpox cases in Zimbabwe, saying, “Even though the country has not yet recorded any confirmed cases of Mpox, we should remain vigilant and not lower our guard by becoming complacent as other African countries have already been affected.”
He also stressed the need for effective community engagement to promote awareness and preventive measures for Mpox.
In response, the Health and Child Care Ministry stated that it is prepared to protect citizens from the highly contagious disease.
“One of the things we are very proud of as a nation is our very strong disease surveillance system, as it was one of our key response strategic pillars during the national COVID-19 pandemic,” the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry added, “We specifically worked tirelessly to strengthen our disease surveillance system in schools and at all ports of entry, working collaboratively with all stakeholders.”
It further assured that the government continues to reinforce disease surveillance at all ports of entry and is ready for any eventuality. “In addition to strengthening our surveillance system, the ministry is very much on top of the situation in line with the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidance and local data and science,” the statement concluded.
Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention director-general Jean Kaseya highlighted that reported Mpox cases in Africa had increased by 79% from 2022-23 and by 160% from 2023-24. In the past week alone, 887 new confirmed and suspected Mpox cases were reported on the continent, bringing the year’s total to 15,132, according to data presented during a media briefing.
Mpox, a viral illness caused by the monkeypox virus, is a species of the genus Orthopoxvirus, according to WHO. Common symptoms include a skin rash or mucosal lesions lasting two to four weeks, fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes. Mpox can be transmitted through physical contact with an infected person, contaminated materials, or infected animals. Some outbreaks have had fatality rates as high as 10%, though more recent outbreaks have seen lower death rates.