The Health Ministry is urging anyone who experiences fever and body aches accompanied by a blistering rash after traveling internationally to seek medical care immediately.
This call comes following the World Health Organization’s declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) due to the rise of a new strain known as clade Ib of Mpox.
The WHO’s latest Situation Report, released on August 12, reveals that of the 934 confirmed Mpox cases globally reported in June, 567 originated from the African Region, with 96% of those cases identified in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Though the new clade Ib has yet to be reported outside Africa, the alarming increase in cases within the DRC and its neighboring countries raises concerns about potential further spread both in Africa and to other regions.
The Health Ministry of Fiji has stated that it already has protocols and guidelines in place for Mpox, established following the WHO’s 2022 declaration of a global public health emergency concerning the disease.
The ministry conducted training for healthcare workers at that time, and ongoing training in infectious disease outbreak response is provided by the Fiji Centre for Disease Control.
In light of the latest Mpox global health emergency announcement by the WHO, the ministry is convening the Communicable Disease Committee to assess the global situation and review Fiji’s existing prevention, preparedness, and response strategies established during the 2022 Mpox emergency. This process will include necessary actions like retraining healthcare personnel.
As was the case in 2022, the ministry’s response will emphasize enhanced case identification and surveillance to ensure early management of infections.
Mpox is transmitted through close contact, including sexual contact, as well as through contact with mpox lesions and body fluids, along with contaminated items such as bedding and surfaces.