WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus recently reported the monkeypox (mpox) outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern following the upsurge of mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and neighboring countries in Africa. Several Southeast Asian countries, such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam, have issued measures to prevent mpox after WHO’s report. The Government of Malaysia has required travelers from countries with mpox to monitor their health within 21 days of their arrival in the country. For Indonesia, visitors are required to file their medical records and recent travel history at the arrival entry. In Vietnam, the Ministry of Health (MoH) has sent documents to the People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities to urge the strengthening of proactive monitoring of mpox to prevent widespread transmission. Local facilities have been encouraged to organize medical training for all levels of healthcare staff on preventive measures against mpox and HIV/AIDS due to the overlapping percentage of patients contracting both diseases.
On August 19, the Philippines detected its first case of mpox since December of 2023. According to the Department of Health (DoH), the patient was a 33-year-old Filipino male with no travel history outside of the Philippines and authorities are awaiting test results of the strain. Thailand reported a case of mpox on August 21, suspecting that it could be caused by the variant going around although the strain is yet to be determined. The MoH of Vietnam has reported 199 mpox cases since 2023 resulting in 8 deaths. Around the world, Sweden has confirmed a case of new variants with links to the growing outbreak in Africa, and Pakistan has confirmed at least one case on Friday with links to a Gulf country. The disease causes pus-filled lesions and flu-like symptoms, alongside headache, fever, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes. While it is often mild, it can result in death for groups with weakened immune systems including children, pregnant women, and those with HIV.
