Health ministry urges localities to ramp up mpox prevention amid WHO emergency declaration

The mpox virus under the microscope. — AFP/VNA Photo

HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Health (MoH) on Monday issued an urgent directive to provincial and city People’s Committees, Hygiene and Epidemiology Institutes, Pasteur Institutes and hospitals specialising in infectious diseases, urging them to ramp up efforts to prevent and control the spread of mpox.

The directive follows the WHO’s declaration of mpox as a public health emergency of international concern.

Since Sept 2022, Việt Nam has recorded 202 confirmed mpox cases, along with eight deaths associated with the viral disease, primarily in HCM City and southern provinces. 

The ministry has urged local authorities to strictly follow Government and Prime Minister directives, emphasising the need for enhanced mpox monitoring, prevention and clear guidelines for diagnosis, treatment and infection control in healthcare facilities.

Localities must intensify surveillance at entry points, border gates, and healthcare facilities, integrating these efforts with ongoing HIV/AIDS prevention, particularly in gynaecology, dermatology, and related health services.

The ministry has further advised that training sessions be organised for healthcare workers at all levels, focusing on the monitoring, prevention, care, treatment, and infection control of mpox.

Localities have been directed to update response plans, ensuring that medications, equipment, personnel and funding are ready for outbreak management and disease prevention.

The Ministry is also emphasising the importance of increasing public communication about preventive measures, particularly targeting high-risk groups.

Local authorities are expected to enhance inspections, monitoring, and guidance for disease control efforts in their areas. Any suspected or confirmed mpox cases must be reported immediately through the website https://macabenh.vncdc.gov.vn/?mod=monkey or via the hotline at 0387525938.

Hygiene Institutes, Pasteur Institutes, and hospitals must closely monitor mpox, promptly identifying cases and unusual pathogens. They are to report to MoH and advise on preventive measures. The ministry also emphasised the need for ready diagnostic tools, ongoing training, and local support for outbreak management.

In the last two months, WHO has reported an unusual spike in mpox cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Since the start of the year, the country has recorded approximately 15,600 cases, including over 537 deaths.

The Clade Ib strain of the mpox virus is predominant in this outbreak, displaying some epidemiological differences from the 2022-24 outbreak in Europe and other regions.

These differences include a younger affected population (about 50 per cent under 15 years old and about 39 per cent under five years old), transmission among female sex workers (7.5 per cent), and household transmission.

Four neighbouring countries, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda have reported their first mpox cases linked to the ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Sweden and Pakistan have reported cases of the Clade Ib strain outside of Africa. — VNS