DHO appoints focal person for Mpox

Islamabad: District Health Officer Islamabad has appointed Dr. Khawar Malik, a medical officer as District Focal Person for Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, while directed all the healthcare facilities including public and private sector hospitals and clinics to nominate Mpox focal persons in their set up.

The letter issued by District Health Officer Islamabad Dr. Muhammad Zaeem Zia states that the World Health Organization has declared Mpox a public health emergency of international concern amid increasing cases of the disease in Africa while in Pakistan, a total of 11 cases with one death has been reported since the first case detected in April 2023.

The DHO directed all the hospitals and clinics to report the suspected, probable or confirmed cases to the district health office within 12 hours. The letter adds that the sharing of this vital information is declared mandatory so that each case shall be counted in the line list that will be further investigated by the DHO Disease Surveillance and Response Unit for implementing preventive and control measures.

The DHO has also formed a team to serve as Mpox Surveillance cell at the district health office. It is important to mention that Mpox or monkeypox is a viral disease that can cause a wide range of symptoms, ranging from mild to severe.

Monkeypox is primarily a zoonotic disease, transmitted from animals to humans. The disease is endemic in certain parts of Central and West Africa, where it is typically transmitted to humans through the bites, scratches, consumption of infected bushmeat or through contact with infected persons or animals.