Secretary for the Ministry of Health, Dr Samson Mndolo, has in a statement highlighted that Malawi has not reported any confirmed cases of mpox but is on high alert and vigilantly conducting surveillance to prevent the disease or to timely detect and respond to any case that may occur.
The Ministry of Health, through the Public Health Institute of Malawi, has however declared mpox, formerly known as Monkey Pox, as a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security in Africa.
The declaration was first made by the Africa Centre for Disease Control on 13 August, 2024 following an increase in cases of mpox in several African countries.
The disease, which is transmitted from one person to another by close contact with lesions, body fluids, respiratory droplets, and contaminated materials such as beddings, has seen a total of 17,541 cases and 517 deaths have been recorded in 13 African countries in 2024.
The majority of cases have been recorded in the SADC region with the Democratic Republic of the Congo accounting for over 90% of cases and deaths.
