Coordinated international approach needed for Monkeypox – Health Minister

The World Health Organisation has declared the Monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency.
So far, Monkeypox has been detected thousands of cases in about 75 countries. Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony expressed on Monday that there is need for coordinated approach on the international level to develop a holistic response to this new public health situation.

“I think once the WHO has declared a public health emergency, then that helps to galvanize the international community to have a coordinated approach in how they tackle the particular disease. In this case, there is need for a more coordinated international response to monkeypox. So far, I think countries have been going about it in their own individual way but it is important that you have a more coordinated approach… Now that we have this declaration, it’s going to help to coordinate the international efforts,” he revealed.
To date, the Health Minister has confirmed that Guyana is still Monkeypox free – despite cases detected in countries like Jamaica and Barbados.
Guyana has been building its capacity to detect Monkeypox using PCR machines and other skillsets to complement the current resource at the National Public Health Reference Laboratory. The Chief Medical Officer would have issued instructions to doctors in the systems, to keep on high alert for signs that might be indicative of Monkeypox and, the steps to be taken in keeping with procedures.
Monkeypox would appear as a rash. From the time a person is exposed to the signs of infections will take approximately five to 13 days but can continue for up to 21 days.
The acute skin rash may be present with maculopapular (flat based lesions) to vesicles (fluid-filled blisters), pustules, and subsequent crusting affecting the dace, palms of the hand, soles of the feet and the rest of the body.
It may be accompanied with headache, acute onset of fever, myalgia, back pain, asthenia and lymphadenopathy. Monkeypox virus is transmitted from one person to another by close contact with lesions, body fluids, respiratory droplets and contaminated materials such as bedding.
Presently, antiretroviral treatment is used but it is not widely available around the world. Guyana is also making attempts to procure some smallpox vaccines, which have been used to treat Monkeypox.
On Saturday, WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom stated, “There is also a clear risk of further international spread, although the risk of interference with international traffic remains low for the moment. So, in short, we have an outbreak that has spread around the world rapidly, through new modes of transmission, about which we understand too little, and which meets the criteria in the International Health Regulations. For all of these reasons, I have decided that the global monkeypox outbreak represents a public health emergency of international concern.” (G12)