The South West Regional Delegate for Public Health sounded the alarm on a monkey pox case recorded in Kumba .
In a letter sent on October 10th 2022 to all the heads of health districts in the South West region, “Following a positive test on a sample from the ”Centre pasteur” on October 8th, I would like to inform you that a case of monkey pox has been recorded in the health districts of Kumba and Mbonge. The regional delegate, Dr. Filbert Eko Eko, therefore invites the heads of these health structures to approach the Regional Centre for the Prevention and Control of Epidemics for an emergency health response”
This is not the first time that monkey pox has been detected in Cameroon. In January 2020, the Regional Delegate of Public Health in the East alerted on a case of smallpox, with the death of a patient. In Cameroon, the health authorities are constantly monitoring tropical diseases. In this vein, the National Health Observatory of the Ministry of Public Health regularly publishes a bulletin on the evolution of these diseases.
Monkey Pox Outbreak
A monkey pox outbreak was reported in Cameroon on 15 December 2021 following confirmation of one case from Ayos health district, in the Centre region. As of 17 February 2022, a total of 25 suspected cases with three confirmed and two deaths (CFR =8.0%) have been reported. Cases were reported from four health districts, namely Ayos, Benakuma, Djoungolo, and Kumba across three regions of Centre, North-West and South-West. The monkeypox virus was detected in three (25.0%) of the 12 laboratory samples that have been collected and analysed.
The Ministry of health has conducted advocacy for resource mobilization for response and prevention activities Rapid case investigations have been conducted in the affected areas with sample collection for laboratory confirmation and case management of the reported cases
Since 2021, in-depth case investigation protocol has been drafted Intensification of event-based surveillance for early case detection in the areas with security challenges is ongoing.
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