Monkeypox outbreak: Health Minister JP Nadda reviews preparedness amid global surge

Concerned over the alarming surge in monkeypox cases across the world particularly in Africa, the Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare, JP Nadda Saturday convened a high-level meeting with senior officials and emphasised the importance of taking proactive measures to prevent any potential outbreak.

In the meeting chaired by the Union Health Minister, it was decided that as a matter of abundant caution, certain measures [such as sensitising the health units at all the airports, seaports and ground crossings; readying the testing laboratories besides gearing up health facilities for detecting, isolating and managing any case, etc are put in place.

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It was also noted that Monkeypox infections are usually self-limiting lasting between 2-4 weeks and patients generally recover with supportive management. The transmission requires prolonged close contact with an infected case and is generally through the sexual route, direct contact with body/lesion fluid, or contaminated clothing/linen of an infected person.

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WHO had earlier declared Monkeypox as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) in July 2022 and subsequently revoked the same in May 2023. Globally since 2022, WHO has reported 99,176 cases and 208 deaths due to Monkeypox from 116 countries. Since the 2022 declaration by WHO, a total of 30 cases were detected in India with the last case in March 2024.