Mpox Disease Under Control in South Africa
The Department of Health has assured South Africans that the current Mpox outbreak remains under control.
“However, this does not mean people should become complacent because we have learned from the COVID-19 pandemic that viruses are unpredictable as they mutate from time to time.”
According to the department, South Africa remains on high alert in case of a surge in Mpox cases and the emergence of new contagious strains.
The disease has now been declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS) by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
Addressing the media during a post-Cabinet media briefing in Pretoria on Thursday, Minister in The Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni reported that to date, the total number of positive cases recorded in South Africa stands at 24.
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The cases include three deaths, 19 recoveries and two active cases undergoing home isolation.
“Of these, 12 cases were reported in Gauteng, 11 in KwaZulu-Natal and one in the Western Cape,” Ntshavheni said.
“Cabinet supports the call by President Cyril Ramaphosa in his capacity as the African Union (AU) Champion on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response for all partners to collaborate closely with the Africa CDC to ensure that there is appropriate support from the international community, guaranteeing equitable access to medical countermeasures, including diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines,” the Minister said.
Cabinet has called on members of the public to play their part by supporting the government’s efforts to prevent the spread of Mpox by remaining vigilant and exercising non-pharmaceutical interventions such as heightened personal hygiene to prevent further transmission.
The department also clarified that both the declarations by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) do not translate into trade and travel restrictions.
Mpox Disease Under Control in South Africa