India's Risk of Monkeypox Outbreak Remains Low, Says Official

New Delhi- The Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, Dr. P.K. Mishra, said that as per the present assessment, the risk of a large outbreak of Monkeypox is very low. There is no reported case of Monkeypox in the country.

It may be noted that the World Health Organization (WHO) has again declared Mpox Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on 14 August 2024 in view of its prevalence and spread across many parts of Africa.

As per an earlier statement from WHO, globally since 2022 from 116 countries, 99,176 cases and 208 deaths had been reported due to Mpox. Subsequently, they have reported that Mpox cases have been steadily increasing in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Last year, the reported cases increased significantly, and already the number of cases reported so far this year has exceeded last year's total, with more than 15, 600 cases and 537 deaths. Since the 2022 declaration of Public Health Emergency of International Concern by WHO, 30 cases were reported in India. The last case of Mpox was detected in March 2024.​

The disease is generally self-limiting, affecting 99,176 cases and 208 deaths globally. It is mostly transmitted through prolonged and close contact with an infected person. Monkeypox is not considered to be a sexually transmitted disease but it can be spread through skin-to-skin contact with an infected person.

As advised by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Dr. P.K. Mishra, Principal Secretary to Prime Minister, chaired a high-level meeting to review the status of preparedness for Mpox in the country and related public health measures.​The Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister directed that the testing laboratories network should be geared up for early diagnosis. The government has also arranged for the purchase of Monkeypox vaccine.