The Sunday Mail
Online Reporter
GOVERNMENT has activated health response systems to keep track of, and detect monkeypox in the country, Health and Child Care Deputy Minister, Dr John Mangwiro said last week.
Responding to questions in the Senate last week, Dr Mangwiro said health authorities are continuously conducting tests for the disease.
“As Government, we are on the lookout for this. We have very strong surveillance systems. We have EHTs (Environmental Health Technicians) who specifically check out these symptoms.
“We also take blood samples from people, time and again, to make sure that we do not miss it. This is how we are doing it,” he said.
Monkeypox is an infectious viral disease that can occur in humans and some animals.
Symptoms include fever, swollen lymph nodes, and a rash that forms blisters.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) says it is in the process of procuring thousands of monkeypox tests for Africa.
However, WHO is not recommending mass vaccination at this stage.
WHO Africa director, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, said the continent should be prepared for vaccination if the need arises.
According to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the continent has documented close to 1 600 suspected cases of monkeypox, with 66 deaths, this year.
