Madagascar is facing an emergence of Monkeypox -

Read Time:1 Minute, 46 Second

Madagascar is facing an emergence of Monkeypox (Mpox), with more than five confirmed cases and over a dozen suspected cases reported across several regions. Health authorities and health partners are closely monitoring the situation, strengthening surveillance, and implementing prevention measures to avoid wider spread. No deaths have been reported so far.

The emergence of these cases comes at a time when monkeypox continues to circulate in several regions of Africa. In Madagascar, no endemic status has yet been officially declared.

At least five Mpox cases have been confirmed in Mahajanga, in the Boeny region (northwest coast). This marks the first time the disease has been officially detected in Madagascar since the ongoing global outbreak that began in 2022.

In addition to these confirmed cases, several suspected cases have been identified in different regions of the country, notably Boeny, Analamanga (Antananarivo), Vakinankaratra, Diana, and Itasy.

The geographical spread appears to be extensive. The disease no longer seems limited to Mahajanga, with cases linked to internal travel.

According to health authorities, the hospitalized confirmed cases are showing good clinical progress.

The government and public health services have strengthened epidemiological surveillance in several regions. Contact tracing investigations and follow-up of suspected cases are also underway.

Prevention measures are being emphasized, including awareness-raising on barrier measures such as mask-wearing and handwashing, which are strongly encouraged.

Numerous actions and activities have been implemented to contain the threat.

According to health authorities, as part of efforts to strengthen the prevention of infectious diseases (Mpox), monitoring and awareness-raising activities have been carried out at the community level, led by the Anosy Public Health Directorate in collaboration with teams from the Ministry of Public Health.

During these activities, information was provided on the emergence of Mpox, how it is transmitted, and the preventive measures to be followed.

It was emphasized that people should go to the hospital immediately if they develop symptoms.

Health checkpoints and screening for travelers have been in place for the past two days at key locations:

Betroka

Sampòna

L’Espoir

Treatment for Mpox patients is free of charge, and established health protocols are fully respected.