PR 24/24
Date: 15/08/2024
Ministry Prepares for Mpox
The Director General of the World Health Organization has determined that the recent increase in cases of mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and a growing number of countries in Africa, constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). An emergence of a new strain or ‘clade’ (clade Ib) of mpox is thought to be driving the outbreak in the Eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo, with cases also reported in neighboring countries of Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya and Côte d’Ivoire.
Since the last global health emergency for mpox in 2022, case numbers of mpox in regions outside Africa have been low in 2024.
According to the latest WHO Situation Report (August 12th), of the 934 confirmed mpox cases reported globally this year in the month of June, 567 were from the African Region, with 96% of these cases in Africa reported from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
An increase in cases, and the new clade Ib, have not yet been reported outside of Africa, however, the recent upsurge in cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with rapidly increasing cases in neighboring countries, are of concern, with risk of further spread in Africa and beyond.
The Ministry of Health and Medical Services has protocols and guidelines in place for mpox that were established at the time of the WHO declaration of the mpox global public health emergency in 2022.
Training of healthcare workers was conducted at that time, and annual training in infectious disease outbreak response continues to be conducted by Fiji CDC.
In response to this mpox global health emergency declaration by the WHO, the Ministry of Health and Medical Services is convening the Communicable Disease Committee to review the global situation, review Fiji’s current prevention, preparedness and response measures that were established during the 2022 mpox global public health emergency and implement necessary actions such as retraining of healthcare workers.
As in 2022, response will focus on strengthened case identification and surveillance to identify and manage cases early.
Mpox is spread by close contact, including sexual contact, and contact with mpox lesions and body fluids, as well as contaminated material such as bedding and surfaces.
Mpox is usually a mild and self-limiting illness, which means that most people recover with supportive treatment (i.e. focused on symptom relief) within several weeks, along with infection prevention and control measures to reduce risk of spread to others. However, previous outbreaks in endemic African countries have shown that severe illness can occur in some individuals, including those with compromised immune systems, young children, and pregnant women.
The Ministry of Health and Medical Services advises travelers to affected countries to take precautions to avoid close contact with people who have symptoms of mpox. Anyone who develops a fever and body aches followed by a blistering rash (similar to chicken pox) after recent international travel should seek medical attention and inform their doctor of their recent travel history.
Mpox remains a legislated national notifiable disease, and all medical professionals are reminded that early notification to the Ministry of Health and Medical Services is critical to preventing and controlling outbreaks. Laboratory testing of samples for suspected cases of mpox is still available at Fiji CDC, and to date there have been no confirmed cases reported in Fiji.
The Ministry will continue to maintain surveillance for early detection of cases, monitor the global situation, and work with the WHO and our partner agencies to adapt the response as necessary for any further developments.
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