Vaccine gap looms after first mpox case

The Ministry of Health and Social Services is yet to confirm whether Namibia has received mpox vaccines following the country’s first confirmed case reported on Friday.

The ministry confirmed that a patient has tested positive for mpox.

According to health ministry spokesperson Walter Kamaya, the individual is receiving medical care, and contact tracing efforts are underway. He urges the public to remain calm and rely on official information.

When contacted for comment on whether Namibia currently has mpox vaccines, executive director Penda Ithindi did not respond to the queries, while Kamaya has responded saying he would provide feedback.

In November 2024, The Namibian reported that the country had no mpox vaccines, as global demand had limited access to supplies.

At the time, then executive director Ben Nangombe said most manufacturers were prioritising countries classified by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as high risk.

“We do not have mpox vaccines in Namibia yet. Given the high demand for these vaccines after mpox was declared a public health emergency of international concern by WHO, most manufacturers are relying on WHO’s classification of high-risk countries,” Nangombe said.

He added that the government was working closely with United Nations entities to explore ways of gaining access to the vaccines.

That statement followed reports that Angola had confirmed its first mpox case in Luanda.

According to the health ministry, mpox, a zoonotic disease caused by an orthopox virus, was first discovered in monkeys in 1958 and in humans in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The current outbreak is mainly transmitted from human to human.

Health authorities have already started tracing and monitoring the patient’s immediate contacts to prevent further spread of the disease.

The ministry assures the public that Namibia has a robust surveillance system in place to identify and monitor suspected cases of mpox.

“Namibia is adequately prepared to respond to public health emergencies and disease outbreaks such as mpox. Isolation facilities across the country are readily available or have been repurposed to accommodate and admit suspected infectious diseases,” Kamaya says.

The disease is currently active in about 17 African countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, Malawi and Tanzania.

SYMPTOMS

The health ministry says mpox symptoms usually appear six to 13 days after exposure and include fever, headaches, swollen lymph nodes, muscle aches and a rash that can develop into blisters.

According to the ministry, the rash is often concentrated on the face, hands and feet, but may also affect the mouth, genitals and eyes.

Transmission occurs through close contact with an infected person’s respiratory secretions, bodily fluids or skin lesions.

It can also spread through contaminated clothing, bedding, towels and objects.

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