Pakistan struggles to combat spread of monkeypox, fifth case reported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Peshawar, Sep 2 (IANS) Pakistan is struggling to tackle and contain the spread of monkeypox (mpox) in the country as Peshawar, capital of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, reported its fifth case, prompting provincial health authorities to intensify its battle against the virus.

The latest case surfaced among patients who have recently returned from the Gulf region. The 47-year-old man has been isolated by the Border Health Services staff and shifted to the Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH).

The resurgence of mpox in KP and its provincial capital Peshawar has become a serious concern for the local government and the health authorities.

Shabana Saleem, the Federal Director General of Health with the World Health Organization, which had earlier declared mpox as a global health emergency, has warned that the resurgence of the virus in Peshawar is a serious concern and needs urgent and immediate action to prevent further transmission.

"This is the fifth mpox case reported in Pakistan this year and the fourth since WHO declared mpox a global health emergency. There is an immediate need for vigilance, particularly among travellers from the Gulf considering that Saudi Arabia has been identified as a potential point of exposure," said Saleem.

Health agencies are also taking urgent steps to do thorough screenings and apply screening protocols at airports across Pakistan.

"We are working in collaboration with the federal and provincial health officials in a coordinated effort to contain the virus. Authorities are working round the clock to ensure preventive measures and are ready to respond to any developments," said a federal government official.

However, a KTH health official stated that no locally transmitted cases have been recorded thus far.

"The Health Department has established a coordinated surveillance and response system to deal with the virus. An isolation ward has been established in all districts, and Rapid Response Teams have been formed in district health offices," said an official from the provincial health ministry.

According to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Department, 20,901 people have been screened at the Bacha Khan International Airport in Peshawar while another 21,040 people checked at the Torkham Crossing with Afghanistan.

At the same time, the movement of locals working in the Gulf region, including Saudi Arabia, remains consistent in the province as they visit home during holidays.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has proved to be a massive challenge for the government and health authorities for decades as majority of the locals refuse to accept vaccinations, including polio doses, from health workers and avoid immunization campaigns. The province is one of the world's few remaining places which still reports polio cases.

KP province, severely hit by terrorism, has also seen targeted attacks on health workers in the past, thus nullifying efforts to counter the spread of various viruses.