The Health Ministry is urging anyone who experiences fever, body aches, and a blistering rash after traveling internationally to seek medical assistance without delay. This call to action follows the World Health Organization’s designation of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) due to the emergence of a new strain of Mpox, known as clade Ib.
The WHO’s latest Situation Report, published on August 12, indicated that out of 934 confirmed Mpox cases reported globally in June, 567 were in the African Region. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) accounted for 96% of those cases.
While an increase in cases and the new clade Ib has not yet been reported outside of Africa, the recent rise in cases in the DRC and neighboring countries poses a significant concern, with the potential for further outbreaks in Africa and beyond.
Fiji’s Health Ministry has established protocols and guidelines for Mpox following the WHO’s declaration of a global public health emergency in 2022. At that time, healthcare workers received training, and ongoing annual training in infectious disease outbreak response is conducted by the Fiji Centre for Disease Control.
In light of the WHO’s recent declaration regarding the Mpox global health emergency, the ministry is summarizing its Communicable Disease Committee to assess the global situation and review Fiji’s current measures for prevention, preparedness, and response that were developed during the 2022 public health emergency. Necessary actions, including the retraining of healthcare workers, will be implemented.
As in 2022, the ministry’s response will prioritize improved case identification and surveillance to facilitate early detection and management of cases. Mpox is transmitted through close contact, including sexual contact, as well as contact with lesions, body fluids, and contaminated materials such as bedding and surfaces.