Mpox Prevention: PM Shehbaz directs enhanced measures nationwide

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on Friday emphasised the importance of vigilance and preparedness to control the spread of Monkeypox (Mpox), directing concerned authorities to adopt all necessary measures to prevent the virus from spreading within the country.

Chairing a high-level review meeting to assess the current situation and precautionary measures being taken to prevent the spread of Mpox in the country, the prime minister directed the officials concerned to raise public awareness about preventive steps.

“All necessary precautionary measures to prevent Monkeypox should be adopted,” the prime minister said

He also instructed that scanning at all airports, seaports, and land entry points must be strictly enforced to detect any potential cases.

The prime minister said Pakistan was not currently facing an emergency situation related to Monkeypox. However, he stressed the need for continued preparedness, particularly by the Ministry of Health and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

He called for the establishment of quarantine centers across the country to accommodate any affected individuals.

During the briefing, officials informed the prime minister that while the African continent remained the most affected by Monkeypox, Pakistan had so far recorded only five cases, all diagnosed after individuals arrived in the country from abroad. The detected cases were of the Clade-II strain, which was considered relatively less dangerous.

It was informed that daily review meetings on the situation were being held at the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) to ensure real-time monitoring and response.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also maintaining communication with Pakistani embassies abroad regarding the global Monkeypox situation.

The provinces have been directed to procure and stock testing kits and other equipment, while quarantine centers have been set up in major cities across the country.

The meeting was told that some 600,000 people had been screened so far as a precautionary measure.

It was further informed that public awareness campaigns were being carried out by the National Institute of Health (NIH), the Ministry of Health, and media outlets to educate the public on Monkeypox. The national helpline, 1166, had also been activated to provide guidance on the disease.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif instructed the NDMA and the Ministry of Health to remain on alert and prepared for any potential emergency.

The meeting was attended by chief secretaries of Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Health Coordinator Mukhtar Ahmad Bharath, NDMA Chairman Lieutenant General Inam Haider Malik and senior officials.

Earlier on Wednesday, Pakistan reported a fifth case of monkeypox from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province as confirmed by provincial Health Minister Qasim Ali Shah.

He said that the affected 33-year-old person belongs to Peshawar. He said the citizen was confirmed monkeypox positive at Khyber Teaching Hospital after his return to Pakistan from Saudi Arabia on September 7.

The patient has been put under isolation at his house in Lower Dir, Qasim Ali Shah said.

Amid the rising case of the Mpox virus, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued an urgent advisory concerning an unprecedented outbreak of Monkeypox, affecting multiple countries.