On the morning of August 19, in response to the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring a state of emergency for the monkeypox epidemic, the Ministry of Health sent a document to the People's Committees of 63 provinces and cities and functional units under the Ministry of Health regarding strengthening prevention of this disease.
In order to proactively monitor, detect early cases of monkeypox in the country and promptly control the epidemic to prevent widespread outbreaks, minimize the number of infections and deaths, the Ministry of Health requests the People's Committees of provinces and cities to focus on directing departments, branches, agencies and units in the area to continue to strictly implement the directions of the Government and the Prime Minister in Official Dispatch No. 680/CD-TTg dated August 1, 2022 of the Prime Minister on strengthening the prevention of monkeypox and guidelines for monitoring and prevention of monkeypox; diagnosis and treatment of monkeypox; prevention of monkeypox infection in monkeypox medical examination and treatment facilities of the Ministry of Health.
At the same time, strengthen surveillance to detect suspected cases right at the border gate; actively monitor at medical examination and treatment facilities, pay attention to integrating surveillance and prevention with HIV/AIDS prevention and control activities; monitor at medical examination and treatment facilities for gynecology, dermatology, public and private medical facilities providing HIV/AIDS prevention and control services; review and update epidemic prevention plans and scenarios according to situations to be ready to respond when an epidemic occurs in the area; prepare medicines, equipment, human resources, and funding to implement measures to admit, treat, and prevent the epidemic; strengthen information and communication on measures to prevent and control monkeypox according to the recommendations of the Ministry of Health, focusing on communication for high-risk groups; strengthen the organization of inspection, supervision, and direction of epidemic prevention and control work in localities.
Institutes of Hygiene and Epidemiology/Pasteur and end-line hospitals treating infectious diseases are required to analyze, evaluate, and closely monitor the monkeypox epidemic situation in localities to promptly detect cases, clusters of cases, sources of infection, new and unusual pathogens; review and prepare equipment, biological products, and testing techniques for diagnosis and treatment; continue to organize training and support localities in monitoring, handling outbreaks, and treating cases; support sample collection and testing techniques for disease diagnosis; and proactively prepare drugs, equipment, human resources, and funding to implement measures for classification, admission, treatment, and epidemic prevention.
According to the Ministry of Health, in 2024, especially in the last 2 months, WHO has recorded an unusually high increase in the number of monkeypox cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Since the beginning of 2024, the country has recorded about 15,600 cases, including over 537 deaths.
Initially, the health authorities noted that there were some epidemiological characteristics of the disease that were different from those in the previous epidemic that occurred in 2022-2024 in the European region and some other countries, such as: younger cases (about 50% under 15 years old, about 39% under 5 years old), transmission through female sex workers (7.5%) and infection among household members.
In addition, four countries bordering Congo (Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda) have reported their first cases of monkeypox epidemiologically linked to the current outbreak in Congo. Two other countries outside Africa, Sweden and Pakistan, have also reported cases of monkeypox.
NGUYEN QUOC
Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/giam-sat-nghiem-ngat-de-phat-hien-ca-nghi-mac-dau-mua-khi-ngay-tu-cua-khau-post754731.html
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