Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda chairs the Health Ministers’ Session of the third Voice Of Global South Summit, in New Delhi on August 17, 2024.
| Photo Credit: ANI
With the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring monkeypox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), a detailed review of developments related to monkeypox, and preparedness for it, was taken up by the Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda in a meeting with senior officials on Saturday (August 17, 2024).
“There are no reported cases of monkeypox in India as of date,” the Ministry said.
“In the meeting chaired by the Union Health Minister, it was decided that as a matter of abundant caution, certain measures including sensitizing the health units at all the airports, seaports, and ground crossings, readying the testing laboratories (32 in number), gearing up health facilities for detecting, isolating and managing any case, etc. be immediately put in place,’’ the Ministry said in its release.
The Health Ministry said that monkeypox infections are usually self-limiting, lasting between two to four weeks, and patients generally recover with supportive management. The transmission requires prolonged close contact with an infected person, and is generally through the sexual route, direct contact with body/lesion fluid, or contaminated clothing/linen.
The WHO had declared monkeypox as a PHEIC in July 2022, and subsequently revoked it in May 2023. Globally, since 2022, the WHO has reported 99,176 cases and 208 deaths due to monkeypox from 116 countries. Since the 2022 declaration by the WHO, a total of 30 monkeypox cases have been detected in India, with the last case reported in March 2024.
A joint monitoring group meeting helmed by the Director General of Health Services, with experts from various fields, was held on August 16. The meeting was attended by experts, including from the National Centre for Disease Control, WHO, Indian Council of Medical Research, National Centre for Vector Borne Disease Control Programme, Directorate General of Health Services, Central government hospitals, and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences.
“Although the possibility of a few imported cases being detected in the coming weeks is not entirely ruled out, it was assessed that the risk of a large outbreak with sustained transmission is presently low for India. The situation is being monitored closely by the Ministry,’’ the Health Ministry stated.
