The Union Health Ministry said in a statement on 17 August that no monkeypox (mpox) cases have been reported in India this year amid concerns over a rise in the zoonotic disease’s cases in the world.
Health Minister JP Nadda reviewed the situation with senior officials, and as a precautionary measure, measures, including sensitising health units and gearing up health facilities, will be put in place, the statement said.
The health minister posted on X that the Government of India is taking proactive measures to prevent and control the potential spread of the disease. The @MoHFW_India is closely monitoring the situation and remains fully committed to safeguarding public health.’
Reviewed the current situation and preparedness with senior officials of the Ministry following the World Health Organization’s declaration of Mpox as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
No cases of Mpox have been detected in India so far. The Government of India… pic.twitter.com/HApKLOP6fE
— Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) August 17, 2024
On August 14, World Health Organization (WHO) Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared Monkeypox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), the second such announcement in two years.
Monkeypox is a viral zoonosis (a virus transmitted to humans from animals) with symptoms similar to those of smallpox. However, according to WHO, it is clinically less severe than smallpox.
