SWAKOPMUND – The Namibian government has declared an mpox outbreak after confirming the country’s first case in the coastal town of Swakopmund, west of the capital Windhoek.
Health and Social Services Minister Esperance Luvindao said on Sunday that the patient is receiving treatment in isolation at the Swakopmund District Hospital and is in stable condition. She explained that under World Health Organisation (WHO) protocols, a single confirmed case of mpox constitutes an outbreak.
The Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) has since activated surveillance, contact tracing, and emergency response teams to contain the spread of the virus. Health officers in the Erongo Region are currently tracing individuals who may have come into contact with the infected person and monitoring possible new cases.
Preliminary investigations linked the case to recent cross-border travel within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. The minister said Namibia’s public health system remains prepared to respond to such emergencies, with isolation facilities available across the country.
Mpox, a zoonotic disease caused by an orthopox virus similar to smallpox, was first detected in monkeys in 1958 and in humans in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The disease spreads mainly through close contact with respiratory droplets, skin lesions, or contaminated objects such as bedding and towels. Symptoms appear within five to 21 days and include fever, swollen lymph nodes, muscle pain, and a rash that turns into blisters before crusting.
Currently, about 17 African countries have active mpox outbreaks, including the DRC, Zambia, Malawi, and Tanzania. By August 2024, over 120 countries had reported more than 100 000 confirmed infections and at least 220 deaths since the global outbreak began in 2022.
Luvindao said the ministry is working closely with WHO and regional partners to monitor developments and ensure a coordinated response. She urged citizens to remain calm, avoid close contact with infected individuals, maintain hygiene, and refrain from spreading false information or stigmatizing affected persons.
“Mpox can infect anyone regardless of background or race,” she said, assuring the public that her ministry would continue to share timely updates to safeguard national health.
The outbreak comes a year after WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus classified the increase in mpox cases across Africa as a public health emergency of international concern. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also warned last year that the outbreak remained uncontrolled and called for greater resources to prevent a health crisis.
The Namibian Health Ministry said it would continue issuing public updates as investigations progress.
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