There have been several outbreaks of monkeypox in Africa over the past decade. The most recent one occurred in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in September 2018 and left 109 people dead. Monkeypox is a viral disease that is transmitted to humans from animals, usually monkeys or rodents. It causes a severe rash and fever and can be fatal in some cases.
In this blog post, William D King shares some of the measures that countries can take to prevent monkeypox outbreaks from occurring.
William D King Lists Steps That A Country Can Take To Prevent A Monkey Pox Outbreak
- Improve surveillance and reporting
The first step that a country can take, according to William D King, to prevent a monkeypox outbreak is to improve its surveillance and reporting methods. This means that they need to be on the lookout for any cases of the disease and report them as soon as possible. Additionally, they need to have a good system in place for tracking the spread of the disease. This will help them to identify any hot spots where the disease is spreading quickly and take steps to contain it.
- Raise awareness of the disease
Another important step that a country can take to prevent a monkeypox outbreak is to raise awareness of the disease. This means educating people on what monkeypox is, how it spreads, and what the symptoms are. Additionally, it is important to remind people of the importance of good hygiene practices, such as washing their hands regularly and avoiding close contact with sick people.
- Increase vaccination rates
A third step that a country can take to prevent a monkeypox outbreak is to increase vaccination rates. This means making sure that more people are vaccinated against the disease. This can be done by providing free or discounted vaccinations or by making it mandatory for all people in at-risk groups to be vaccinated.
- Improve infection control measures
Another step that a country can take to prevent a monkeypox outbreak is to improve infection control measures. This means taking steps to reduce the spread of the disease, such as isolating patients with the disease and quarantining exposed individuals. Additionally, it is important to make sure that all healthcare workers are properly trained in infection control measures.
- Isolate patients with the disease
One of the most important steps, according to William D King, that a country can take to prevent a monkeypox outbreak is to isolate patients with the disease. This means keeping them away from other people so that they cannot spread the disease. This can be done by putting them in a hospital isolation ward or by having them stay at home if they are not too sick.
William D King’s Concluding Thoughts
Countries with frequent outbreaks of monkeypox, like the DRC, need to take measures to prevent it from happening again. This can be done by investing in better public health infrastructure and education and following the tips by William D King mentioned above.