After the Covid-19 pandemic, the federal government has now released special instructions to all national and provincial health authorities to be on high alert for any suspected cases of monkeypox.
Following the instructions, an official of the Ministry of National Health Services said that the situation is being carefully supervised by the health authorities.
The official added that information being shared on social media regarding confirmed cases of the disease in Pakistan is not true. “As per reports of the National Institute of Health, no case of monkeypox has yet been diagnosed in Pakistan,” he added.
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According to the latest report released by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Sunday, monkeypox creates a “moderate risk” to overall public health at the international level once the cases were reported in countries where the disease is not usually found.
“The public health risk could become high if this virus exploits the opportunity to establish itself as a human pathogen and spreads to groups at higher risk of severe diseases such as young children and immunosuppressed persons,” WHO remarked.
On May 26, a total of 257 confirmed cases and 120 suspected cases have been reported from 23 member states that are not even endemic to the disease, the health agency said in a statement. There have been no reported fatalities up till now.
Earlier this month, the National Institute of Health (NIH) issued a high alert to health authorities showing concern over the virus which has taken 11 European countries and the United States by storm.
As per the NIH’s alert issued on multi-country monkeypox epidemics in non-endemic countries to concerned health authorities and specialists at all levels, stakeholders particularly the central health establishment, comprising monitoring points of entry, have also been ordered to remain attentive.
“The situation has urged all countries to enhance surveillance and vigilance. The Centre for Disease Control is monitoring the situation and will keep the stakeholders updated,” it said.
