"One Death Is One Too Many": Says Health Minister As SA Records First Mpox Death
- Health Minister Joe Phaahla announced South Africa's first Mpox death, a 37-year-old man who died at Tembisa Hospital, highlighting local transmission
- The country confirmed its fifth Mpox case last week, marking the first cases since 2022
- Phaahla emphasised the need for community cooperation and timely reporting of symptoms to prevent further spread
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Reitumetse Makwea, a Briefly News current affairs journalist in Pretoria, South Africa, has covered health, court and crime-related news at The Citizen and Rekord Noweto for over five years.
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Health Minister Joe Phaahla said one death is one too many after SA recorded its first Mpox death.
The country confirmed its fifth case last week, with three more cases in KwaZulu-Natal and another one in Gauteng, Sedibeng.
Phaahla announced on Wednesday that a 37-year-old man succumbed to the disease at Tembisa Hospital in Gauteng on Monday.
Five cases confirmed in the country
The deceased, who had tested positive for Mpox last week, represents the fifth case confirmed in South Africa this year.
Phaahla highlighted that this development indicates local infectious disease transmission within the country.
The global outbreak of Mpox has been ongoing since 2022. South Africa recorded five positive cases in that year, with cases spread across the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, and Gauteng provinces.
No new cases were reported in 2023 until the recent resurgence in 2024.
Still spreading globally
According to the National Institute For Communicable Diseases Of South Africa (NICD), Mpox, caused by the monkeypox virus (MPXV), is an orthopoxvirus transmitted through close human contact and potentially from animal reservoirs in parts of Africa.
The disease has seen sustained human-to-human transmission globally, affecting a broad spectrum of populations, including people living with HIV.
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The World Health Organization (WHO) reported from 31 May, there have been 97,208 laboratory-confirmed cases and 186 deaths from Mpox across 117 countries between 1 January 2022 and 30 April 2024.
In April 2024 alone, 528 new cases were reported, marking a 21.2% decline from March.
The WHO regions most affected by Mpox include the Americas, Africa, Europe, South-East Asia, and the Western Pacific.
In Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo has reported the highest number of cases.
No registered treatment so far
While there is no registered treatment for Mpox in South Africa, the WHO recommends Tecovirimat (TPOXX) for severe cases.
The South African Department of Health has secured Tecovirimat through compassionate use approvals for the five severe cases identified this year, and efforts are underway to establish a stockpile of the drug for future outbreaks.
Vaccination strategies are also being considered, with plans to target high-risk groups and healthcare workers. South Africa is seeking vaccine supplies from WHO member countries and GAVI.
Minister Phaahla emphasised the importance of community cooperation in preventing further transmission.
Travelers to and from endemic regions are advised to stay informed and report any symptoms promptly.
Early diagnosis and effective treatment are critical to managing and containing Mpox.
Health minister Dr Joe Phaahla warns of monkeypox outbreak
Briefly News previously reported that a 39-year-old man from Gauteng tested positive for monkeypox last week, two years after its last reported case.
Phaahla called on South Africans to remain vigilant after the man tested positive.
South Africans reacted to the news: some were not concerned, while others had questions.
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Source: Briefly News
