MoH Activates Emergency Plan To Combat Monkeypox

The Ministry of Health, through the Ghana Health Service, has activated its emergency response plan to address the potential threat of monkeypox disease within the country.

This is in response to the recent declaration by the World Health Organization (WHO) that mpox is a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).

On 14 August 2024, the WHO director general identified the significant upsurge of mpox cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and an increasing number of countries across Africa as constituting a PHEIC under the International Health Regulations (2005).

The WHO has expressed concern about the potential for the disease to spread further across African nations and possibly beyond the continent.

This move by the Health Ministry, therefore, aligns with the WHO’s determination to intensify global efforts in combating the spread of mpox, particularly in Africa.

In a press release dated August 16, 2024, the Ministry of Health announced heightened surveillance measures across the country, including enhanced monitoring at points of entry such as airports and border crossings, as well as increased vigilance within communities nationwide.

The Ministry of Health urged the public to take proactive measures to prevent a resurgence of the disease.

The release also advised citizens to utilise available healthcare facilities provided by the Ghana Health Service and Teaching Hospitals for any symptoms or concerns related to Mpox.

The Ministry of Health reaffirmed its commitment to leading the provision of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in Ghana and its readiness to combat any potential outbreak of Mpox in the country.

“Early detection, timely reporting, and prompt treatment are crucial to containing the disease and preventing further spread. We urge all citizens to cooperate with health authorities and adhere to the guidelines provided to safeguard public health,” the statement admonished.

Mpox has been endemic in parts of Africa for decades after it was first detected in humans in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1970.

A milder version of the virus spread to more than a hundred countries in 2022, largely through sexual contact, prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare a public health emergency of international concern, its highest level of alert.

The WHO ended the emergency 10 months later, saying the health crisis had come under control.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a second health alert last week to notify clinicians and health departments about the deadly new strain.

Also last week, Africa CDC said it had been granted $10.4 million in emergency funding from the Africa Union for its mpox response.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has promised to convene an emergency committee to discuss whether the outbreak in Congo represents a public health emergency of international concern.