World Health Organisation (WHO) has provided monkeypox test kits to the Maldives.
WHO handed over 250 Monkeypox virus generic real-time PCR test kits to the Ministry of Health at a special ceremony. The health ministry stated the Maldives has been responding to suspected cases of monkeypox and have the capacity for case investigation, contact tracing, testing, and risk communications. It stated that it is working with the WHO on mobilising more kits and we will be receiving additional testing kits in a near future.
Furthermore, the health ministry stated that laboratory technicians will be trained on using the test kits with assistance from the WHO. Technicians from the largest hospitals in the Maldives will be participating in the training programme. The health ministry has stated there have been no cases of monkeypox so far in the Maldives.
On July 23, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared monkeypox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) after stating that the rapidly spreading outbreak represents a global health emergency. The PHEIC is the WHO’s highest level of alert, designed to trigger a coordinated international response and unlock funding to collaborate on sharing vaccines and treatments. The latest reports show that monkeypox has affected over 15,000 people in 75 countries.
Monkeypox is an infectious disease that is usually mild and is endemic in parts of west and central Africa. The transmission of the virus among humans is limited, but it can happen through close skin contact, air droplets, bodily fluids, and virus-contaminated objects, and can be contained through such measures as self-isolation and hygiene. Monkeypox can cause a range of signs and symptoms. The most common symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes. It is followed or accompanied by the development of a rash which can last for two to three weeks.