'1st mpox' case confirmed in Pakistan

Just a day after the World Health Organisation declared a global health emergency to stop the spread of mpox (formerly known as monkeypox), Pakistan on Thursday reported this year's first case of mpox diagnosed in a Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa citizen who recently returned home from Saudi Arabia.

The Ministry of National Health revealed the country's first suspected case of monkeypox (mpox) on Thursday.

According to a statement from the health ministry's spokesperson, a citizen from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, who recently arrived from a Gulf country, displayed the symptoms of mpox. Samples have been taken and sent for confirmation.

Officials reported that the affected individual is experiencing mild symptoms, and efforts are underway to trace and test those who have been in contact with him.

The health ministry spokesperson also stated that all provinces have been instructed to appoint focal persons for monkeypox, and Border Health Services have been directed to enhance monitoring at all entry points.

In the past year, Pakistan has confirmed nine cases of Mpox, all among travellers returning from the Middle East and other countries. Tragically, one patient, who was co-infected with HIV and Mpox, later died in Islamabad.

During the special session of the NCOC on Mpox, it was noted that around 15 African countries are currently reporting Mpox cases, with a total of 2,030 confirmed cases. Four countries - Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda - previously unaffected by Mpox, have reported cases since mid-July 2024.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the spread of a new strain of Mpox in Congo and other parts of Africa as a global health emergency. Confirmed cases have emerged in both children and adults across several African countries.

So far, 13 countries have reported mpox cases, with 517 deaths. This year, over 17,000 suspected cases have been reported in African nations alone.