Home Health Mpox Hits Four Counties …NPHIL Urges Citizens On Preventive Measures

Mpox Hits Four Counties …NPHIL Urges Citizens On Preventive Measures

by News Manager

By: Elbie Sebleh

MONROVIA: The National Public Health Institute (NPHIL), through its Director, Dr. Dougbeh Chris Nyan, has announced that the monkey pox disease has reached six cases in the country.

Making the disclosure during a news conference held at the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs, and Tourism, on Thursday, August 23, 2024, Director Nyan disclosed that the six cases of monkey pox are the entirety of 2024 in Bong, Nimba, Grand Kru and Maryland counties.

According to him, the NPHIL is working closely with Ministry of Health (MoH) and the World Health Organization (WHO), to ensure proper mechanisms are put in place to avoid the growth of the outbreak.

He explained that the disease is a person-to-person contact and it is very quick to be transmitted, especially in hugging and shaking hands.

He added that physical contact with affected person remains the fastest way of contacting the disease.

Director Nyan pointed out that the challenges that NPHIL is faced with currently include the lack of diagnostic tools, testing kits, nose masks, medical coats, gloves, among others to help prevent the spread of the disease.

It can be recalled that August 14, 2024, the NPHIL informed the public about the outbreak of Monkeypox virus (Mpox) in several countries of the African Region, mainly in Central and West Africa.

In a press release, NPHIL said the Mpox outbreak has been determined by the WHO to be a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), under the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR).

Since the beginning of 2024, Liberia has accounted for 5 confirmed cases in 3 counties.

In recent times, new cases have been confirmed in neighboring countries like Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire in the region.

“The Mpox is the disease caused by the Monkeypox virus which belongs to the same family as the virus that causes smallpox. It is transmitted through various modes that include direct skin-to-skin contact, sexual contact with bodily fluids or lesions found around the anus, rectum, or vagina from an Mpox infected person, and through respiratory secretions and droplets, among others.

Symptoms include fever, chills, headache, swollen lymph nodes, muscles aches, among others.”

Noting the nature of this outbreak and its rapid spread over several countries, the National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL) disclosed that will heighten its surveillance system, strengthen outbreak preparedness plan and work in collaboration with the Ministry of Health to activate measures and specific response mechanisms so as to address any impending outbreak of Mpox in Liberia.

Meanwhile, Dr. Nyan urged the public to take the following preventive measures such as constant hand-washing, avoid sex with person suspected of having Mpox symptoms, avoid close contact with persons suspected of Mpox symptoms, avoid animal contact, and report to the nearest medical facility should you experience or observe any of the Mpox symptoms listed above.

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