Amid apprehension of the possible spread of mpox to India, the Union Home Ministry earlier this week confirmed the first case of the disease in a person with travel history to a country facing transmission of the virus. Informing that it is an isolated case and the patient who was infected with the clade 2 variant, which is not listed in the Public Health Emergency of International Concern declared by the World Health Organisation (WHO) last month, is recovering at a hospital in Delhi, the Centre has asked the citizens not to panic. It added that public health measures are in place to contain the spread of the virus, while directing the states and union territories to screen and test all suspected cases as well as establish isolation facilities in hospitals for both confirmed and suspected patients. While there is absolutely no need to panic, there is an undeniable feeling of déjà vu as the number of cases continues to rise in several countries, especially the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Burundi, and the efforts to contain the epidemic falling short of expectations. Going by the lacklustre global response to the current health crisis, it seems like the world has not learned from the COVID-19 pandemic. This is posing a risk for further spread of the viral illness in the affected countries and beyond.
Following the central government’s recent directive, the Nagaland Health department is said to have taken precautionary measures, including earmarking all district hospitals in case of any eventuality. This is reassuring, as preparedness is key to curbing transmission of any viral infections. The state government, along with the civil society organisations, did a commendable job in containing the COVID pandemic. The same formula can be applied to prevent the outbreak of mpox, as the zoonotic disease, like COVID, transmits through close contact. Preventive measures are more or less the same: avoid contact with infected individuals, isolate infected patients, practice good hand hygiene, etc. So, those with mpox symptoms like skin rash or mucosal lesions, accompanied by fever, headache and body ache, should take the test and avoid close contact to help contain its spread. While preventive measures should be implemented at all levels, a concerted push from the global community is indispensable to address the crisis. Unfortunately, this disease has been neglected for too long, despite hitting children in African countries on several occasions in the past. The magnitude of the outbreak may not be this severe had the richer countries helped fight the disease by making the required quantity of vaccines available to the infected countries, mostly in Africa. Reports say that shipping of vaccines has increased amid the looming threat but is unable to meet the growing demand. This calls for the global community to review the approach towards addressing health crises, especially infectious diseases. Rich countries have a huge role to play during health emergencies, be it in the form of vaccine supply or financial assistance. Apathy, negligence and selfishness can prove costly for everyone.