Islamabad, August 16, 2024, The Europe Today: Pakistan has confirmed its first Mpox case of 2024, following the positive test of a man from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa who recently returned from a Middle Eastern country. The case was confirmed just a day after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Mpox a global health emergency of public concern.
“A young man from Dir, currently residing in Mardan, tested positive for Mpox after returning from a brotherly Arab state on August 3,” an official from the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (NHS,R&C) told The News. Provincial health authorities have since initiated contact tracing efforts to prevent the further spread of the virus.
In response to the confirmed case, Border Health Services (BHS) and provincial health authorities have been placed on high alert. Instructions have been issued to establish isolation wards in designated hospitals, stock antiviral medications, and ensure the availability of personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers at points of entry and within healthcare facilities.
This marks the 11th case of Mpox in Pakistan over the past two years and the first in 2024. Last year, a patient co-infected with HIV and Mpox died at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad. Following the recent detection, additional samples have been collected from individuals in close contact with the patient. The Health Ministry has also directed intensified monitoring at all entry points to prevent further cases from entering the country.
Pakistan recorded 10 confirmed Mpox cases last year, all linked to travelers from the Middle East and other regions. The recurrence of cases among travelers underscores the critical need for rigorous border screening and monitoring.
During a special session of the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC), officials noted that around 15 African countries are currently reporting Mpox cases, with 2,030 confirmed infections. The spread of the virus to previously unaffected regions, including Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda since mid-July 2024, indicates the growing reach of the virus.
