Browsing: mpox

Filipino health authorities have expressed readiness to the WHO to receive smallpox vaccines for monkeypox once available. With 27 total cases since July and 18 new ones in August, local governments are aiding containment efforts alongside the DOH.

The Department of Health (DOH) has reported the first case of mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) in the Philippines for 2024. This new case brings the total number of recorded mpox cases in the country to 10. The last case was documented in December 2023, and all previous patients have since recovered.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) in Singapore has assessed the risk of the severe mpox clade I variant spreading to the country as low.

On August 14, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared mpox a global public health emergency, marking the second time in two years that the viral infection has reached such a critical level. This declaration follows a significant outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) that has rapidly spread to neighbouring countries, raising international concern.

Medical Channel Asia presents the weekly Asian medical news bulletin, bringing you essential healthcare news from across the region. This week’s bulletin covers expired vaccines in Malaysia, illegal drugs in Singapore and monkeypox in Indonesia. 

The Songkhla Provincial Public Health Office confirmed the first monkeypox (mpox) case in the region. A 31-year-old Thai man from Songkhla was admitted to the hospital on Wednesday, and the diagnosis was made the following day. The hospital followed the prevention guidelines by isolating the patient. The health office initiated contact tracing, identifying one low-risk and one high-risk contact, while others were advised to self-monitor.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared on 11 May 2023 that the mpox outbreak is no longer a global health emergency