Mpox screenings a necessary precaution - Shangula
Health minister Kalumbi Shangula on Monday said the ministry’s decision to screen for mpox at border posts countrywide is not a cause for concern but a precautionary measure.
He told Namibian Sun: “We have maintained the level of alertness in monitoring the inbound passengers.”
Travellers arriving at Hosea Kutako International Airport in Windhoek, the Noordoewer Border posts and other ports of entry will be required to fill out health forms at passport control.
The minister explained that this is a mandatory procedure at all borders across the country to ensure an immediate response should the need arise.
Plans in place
Shangula said that although mpox has been endemic in some African countries for over three decades, Namibia has never recorded a case during that time.
Mpox cases saw a drastic rise in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) this year and began to spread to other countries.
As a result, the World Health Organisation declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern, following the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention's declaration of it as a public health emergency of continental security.
“The ministry is cognisant of the potential of importation of mpox," the minister said, adding that as a precautionary measure, the ministry has activated the National Emergency Preparedness and Response Committee to put measures in place to detect and respond to mpox.
He said the ministry will not wait for any external body to tell them how to proceed on the matter.
“We have also not taken unusual measures in this regard. There are no reasons for the public to be concerned. Any new development will be communicated timeously to the public,” he said.
Signs and symptoms
Health ministry executive director Ben Nangombe announced in a statement that the incumbent period (interval exposure to the virus and onset of symptoms) of mpox is typically from six to 13 days but can range from five to 21 days.
Nangombe said symptoms include fever, intense headache, swollen lymph nodes, muscle aches, and a rash that appears some days after the onset of the symptoms and turns into blisters and crusts.
“The rash tents to be concentrated on the face, palms of the hands, and soles of the feet. The mouth, genitals, and eyes may be affected,” he said.
Nangombe said the symptoms and skin rashes generally last two to four weeks, and during this period, a person can transmit the infection to others.
“Mpox is a self-limiting disease, however, severe cases can also occur, which may lead to deaths,” he said.
He told Namibian Sun: “We have maintained the level of alertness in monitoring the inbound passengers.”
Travellers arriving at Hosea Kutako International Airport in Windhoek, the Noordoewer Border posts and other ports of entry will be required to fill out health forms at passport control.
The minister explained that this is a mandatory procedure at all borders across the country to ensure an immediate response should the need arise.
Plans in place
Shangula said that although mpox has been endemic in some African countries for over three decades, Namibia has never recorded a case during that time.
Mpox cases saw a drastic rise in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) this year and began to spread to other countries.
As a result, the World Health Organisation declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern, following the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention's declaration of it as a public health emergency of continental security.
“The ministry is cognisant of the potential of importation of mpox," the minister said, adding that as a precautionary measure, the ministry has activated the National Emergency Preparedness and Response Committee to put measures in place to detect and respond to mpox.
He said the ministry will not wait for any external body to tell them how to proceed on the matter.
“We have also not taken unusual measures in this regard. There are no reasons for the public to be concerned. Any new development will be communicated timeously to the public,” he said.
Signs and symptoms
Health ministry executive director Ben Nangombe announced in a statement that the incumbent period (interval exposure to the virus and onset of symptoms) of mpox is typically from six to 13 days but can range from five to 21 days.
Nangombe said symptoms include fever, intense headache, swollen lymph nodes, muscle aches, and a rash that appears some days after the onset of the symptoms and turns into blisters and crusts.
“The rash tents to be concentrated on the face, palms of the hands, and soles of the feet. The mouth, genitals, and eyes may be affected,” he said.
Nangombe said the symptoms and skin rashes generally last two to four weeks, and during this period, a person can transmit the infection to others.
“Mpox is a self-limiting disease, however, severe cases can also occur, which may lead to deaths,” he said.
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