By Michael Gwarisa
Following detection of a deadly Mpox variant in several countries in the African region, Zimbabwe has enhanced its diseases surveillance systems at all entry points in a bid to effectively respond to the disease, Public Health Advisor to the President, Dr Agnes Mahomva has said.
Even though Zimbabwe is yet to record an Mpox case, the virus has been detected in more than 10 African countries namley the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, Cameroon, CAR, Congo, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, and South Africa. Sequencing of the mpox viruses in three cases reported in Uganda and Kenya has confirmed all belong to a deadlier variant previously seen only in DRC.
Speaking to HealthTimes in an Interview, Dr Mahomva said since COVID-19 times, Zimbabwe has been strengthening diseases surveillance and epidemic control in preparation for diseases outbreaks.
One of the things we are very proud of as a nation is our very strong disease surveillance system. You recall that this was one of our key response strategic pillars during the national COVID-19 pandemic. We specifically worked tirelessly to strengthen our disease surveillance system in schools and at all ports of entry working collaboratively with all stakeholders,” said Dr Mahomva.
According to the World Health Orgnisation, Mpox is an infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus (MPXV). There are two known clades of MPXV: clade I, previously called the Congo Basin clade; and clade II, previously called the West African clade, which includes subclades IIa and IIb.
“We have continued to strengthen our disease surveillance at all ports of entry and are therefore ready for any eventuality. In addition to strengthening our surveillance system, Our Ministry of Health and Child Care is very much on top of the situation in line with the WHO guidance and local data and science,” added Dr Mahomva.
In the DRC, nearly 14,000 cases and 450 deaths have been reported in the country this year, and for the first time sexual transmission in adults has been a major driver. The virus has also spread in urban areas and has reached Goma, a city of more than 2 million people in DRC’s North Kivu province, which borders Rwanda.
The mpox virus found in DRC, known as clade 1, has in the last year killed about 3% of those infected. The milder variety of mpox, clade 2, erupted from Nigeria in May 2022, infecting nearly 100,000 people in 116 countries to date and spreading mainly among men who have sex with men (MSM).
Only 208 deaths have been reported, a case fatality rate of 0.2%. A rollout of mpox vaccines and aggressive disease surveillance in MSM communities has helped slow that spread.
