By Sikhulile Dlamini
MBABANE – Government, through the Ministry of Health, is monitoring monkeypox in South Africa.
This come after the Ministry has received information of one confirmed case of monkeypox in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. The Ministry announced this through a statement issued yesterday (14 May 2024) to this publication.
The statement highlights that according to a preliminary investigations by the Department of Health in the Republic of South Africa, the case has no history of recent travel to countries experiencing monkeypox outbreaks, thus highly suggestive of a local transmission.
The Ministry said they have noted that the outbreak of monkeypox continues to pose a significant public health concern in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.
“In Eswatini, monkeypox is a notifiable disease which is part of the 13 public health threats that are being monitored through the weekly survvilliance system. The National Public Health Emergency Management Core Team (PHEMCO) in Eswatini has not reported any confirmed case of monkeypox since the outbreak was first declared in Africa in 2022, said part of the statement.
The Kingdom of Eswatini, according to the statement, remains vigilant against monkeypox and ensures that key interventions are prioritised. The measures include monkeypox screenings at points of entry, Public Health Emergency Rapid Response Teams (PHERRTs), Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) and weekly meetings of PHEMCO among other measures.
The ministry has urged members of the public to be on the lookout of monkeypox signs and symptoms and report to the nearest health facility immediately when suspected.
