Govt urges calm after first MPOX case in KP, ensures vigilant monitoring

ISLAMABAD: Following the confirmation of Pakistan’s first monkeypox case in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), the federal government has urged the public to remain calm, emphasizing that the virus has a low mortality rate.

In a press conference, Dr. Mukhtar Ahmad, the Prime Minister’s Coordinator on National Health Services, reassured the public, noting that only one case has been detected in Pakistan. He highlighted that globally, monkeypox has affected 99,000 people, with only 200 fatalities, while the majority have recovered.

Dr. Ahmad explained that the infected individual in KP had recently returned from the Gulf region. As a precaution, authorities have isolated the patient’s family members and implemented measures to control the spread.

Moreover, a comprehensive strategy is in place, including surveillance and screening at airports and entry points. Designated laboratories across provinces and the federal capital are equipped for diagnosing monkeypox.

Screening will be conducted for travelers arriving from Africa, the United States, and the Gulf countries.

Under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s leadership, both federal and provincial authorities are working urgently to prevent the virus’s spread. Dr. Ahmad noted that the Ministry of Health is conducting daily monitoring and holding regular meetings to coordinate efforts.

In addition, he advised those with a family travel history or symptoms of monkeypox to self-isolate and consult a doctor.

Symptoms may take 10 to 15 days to appear, and prolonged contact with an infected person can facilitate transmission. Quarantine and fever management are recommended for those affected.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has chaired an emergency meeting on monkeypox, underscoring the World Health Organisation’s declaration of the disease as a global public health emergency.

He called for rigorous monitoring at airports, ports, and borders and instructed the Border Health Services (BHS) to enforce strict surveillance.

Monkeypox, related to the now-eradicated smallpox virus, can spread through close contact and contaminated materials. Recent concerns have arisen due to a new variant that appears to spread more easily, with a recent case linked to an outbreak in Africa.