Malawi has initiated comprehensive mpox screening at all entry points to curb the virus’s spread, following the detection of its first two suspected cases. A 31-year-old male is hospitalized, while a 17-year-old boy is under home care as they await lab results. This measure comes as the Democratic Republic of Congo, the epicenter of a more lethal mpox strain, continues to face an outbreak that has affected over 10 other African nations.
The World Health Organization recently declared the spread of this new mpox strain a public health emergency of international concern. Africa’s leading public health agency indicated that some countries may begin mpox vaccinations soon, but Malawi plans to prioritize vaccination for those at highest risk rather than widespread distribution.
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Adrian Chikumbe from the Malawi Ministry of Health clarified, “Vaccines will not be administered to everyone as with COVID-19; they are reserved for individuals at very high risk.”
Preventative measures in Malawi include an awareness campaign, community health outreach, and a mobile diagnostic unit stationed in Lilongwe. Carol Luka, a community health worker, advises avoiding contact with individuals showing mpox symptoms and any materials they may have used.
Malawi remains one of the few Southern African nations to have so far avoided a full-scale mpox outbreak.
