Editorial: Mpox: Develop a proactive approach

Namibia’s health authorities must remain on constant alert over the recent spike in monkeypox cases on the continent.As a country, we cannot afford another Covid-19 scenario whereby the health system is caught napping, a situation that left those in charge of the system scrambling to put things in place when the pandemic was in full swing.Since January 2022, a total of 15 countries in the African region have reported mpox outbreaks. In the last seven months (January to July), a total of 14 250 confirmed cases and 456 deaths, with a case fatality rate of 3.2%, were reported, compared to 1 145 cases and seven deaths last year. One of the hotspots, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), accounts for more than 90% of the reported cases.DRC is a key trading partner of Namibia, with daily volumes of cargo and goods transported between the two countries’ roads. This places cross-border truck drivers at great risk because they are forced to come into contact with their DRC counterparts.Transport authorities and private transport companies must implement necessary health measures, such as educational campaigns, to protect truck drivers.According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), monkeypox symptoms include fever, an intense headache, swollen lymph nodes, muscle aches and a rash that appears some days after the onset of symptoms and turns into blisters and crusting over time.

Editorial: Mpox: Develop a proactive approach

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-04

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Editorial: Mpox: Develop a proactive approach

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-04

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