Malawi on High Alert Despite No Confirmed Mpox Cases
Malawi has not reported any confirmed cases of mpox.
Lilongwe, Malawi - The Ministry of Health in Malawi has announced it is on high alert following the declaration of mpox as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) by the World Health Organization (WHO), despite the country not yet reporting any confirmed cases of the virus, writes Winston Mwale.
The declaration, made on August 13th and 14th, 2024 respectively, comes after a recent surge in cases across several African countries, with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) accounting for the majority of cases and deaths.
“The Ministry of Health commits to the Africa CDC and the WHO call for action and would like to assure the public that it is on high alert and vigilantly conducting surveillance to prevent the disease or to timely detect and respond to any case that may occur," said Dr. Samson Mndolo, Secretary for Health, in a press release.
While Malawi has not yet reported any confirmed cases, the Ministry is implementing preparedness measures, including surveillance, risk communication, community engagement, and logistics mobilization.
The Ministry urged the public to continue practicing prevention measures such as avoiding physical contact with those infected, frequent handwashing, and reporting any symptoms, including fever, chills, body aches, and rash, to the nearest health facility.
While no specific antiviral treatment for mpox is currently available, certain antivirals developed for smallpox have been used to manage symptoms. Vaccination is recommended for those at high risk, especially during an outbreak.
The Ministry is working to secure vaccines for high-risk groups in Malawi, where no mpox vaccines are currently available.