The Ministry of Health and Medical Services is urging travelers to regions impacted by Mpox to take necessary precautions to minimize close contact with individuals exhibiting symptoms of the disease. This advisory comes in response to the World Health Organization’s announcement of an Mpox outbreak in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which has also seen cases in neighboring countries, including Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, and Côte d’Ivoire.
Mpox is transmitted through close contact, sexual encounters, or interaction with mpox lesions, bodily fluids, and contaminated items like bedding and surfaces. The Ministry has recommended that anyone experiencing fever and body aches followed by a blistering rash after recent travel abroad should seek medical care and inform their healthcare provider about their travel experience.
While Mpox usually presents as a mild and self-limiting illness, allowing most individuals to recover with supportive care within a few weeks, significant health risks have been noted in previous outbreaks, particularly for vulnerable groups such as immunocompromised individuals, young children, and pregnant women.
The Ministry has established protocols and guidelines for Mpox following the WHO’s designation of it as a global public health emergency in 2022. Additionally, training for healthcare professionals was conducted at that time, and ongoing annual training in infectious disease outbreak response is facilitated through Fiji CDC.
In light of the WHO’s recent declaration of a global health emergency regarding Mpox, the Ministry of Health and Medical Services is gathering the Communicable Disease Committee to assess the global landscape. This review will also evaluate Fiji’s existing prevention, preparedness, and response strategies established during the 2022 public health emergency, along with necessary actions such as the retraining of healthcare staff.