By Sikhulile Dlamini
MBABANE – There has been no cases of monkey pox in the country, since the outbreak of the disease was announced in the Republic of South Africa.
The Public Health Emergency Management Committee (PHEM) in Eswatini has assured the nation that it was on high alert and monitoring the disease, with an intention of helping the nation avoid the infection at all costs.
This is according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Health issued on Monday (June 17, 2024), which states that the committee continues to meet every week to analyze diseases notified by the healthcare workers through the Immediate Disease Notification System (IDNS).
“The Kingdom of Eswatini remains vigilant against monkey pox and assessment of the disease has been conducted. The Ministry also has finalised the Mpox preparedness and readiness plan,” said the statement.
It further emphasises that the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) has transitioned from watch mode to alert mode, with intense monitoring and reporting by the watch staff health teams. Health screening, including for monkey pox is ongoing at designated points of entry.
The key interventions adopted by the Ministry, which include Rapid Response Teams, are on high alert for contact tracing once a suspected case or confirmed case has been identified. The Risk Communication and Community Engagement Teams have begun sensitising the public about the disease and are stepping up their efforts as highlighted by the statement.
In conclusion, the statement notes that a global outbreak of the disease has been ongoing since 2022, and since then, the country had not confirmed any positive cases.
