Kenya’s mpox cases rise to 8 amid fight against stigma

Kenya's Ministry of Health on Friday evening confirmed another mpox case, bringing the total number of infections to eight as the government stepped up community awareness to curb stigma. Mary Muthoni, the principal secretary in the Ministry of Health, said in a statement issued in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, that the case had been confirmed in Bungoma, western Kenya. "Sixty-one contacts have been followed up and released. Only one tested positive for mpox," she said. Muthoni added Kenya had cumulatively screened 1.05 million travelers at 26 points of entry and no deaths have been reported so far. She said the ministry has intensified surveillance, risk communication and community engagement to combat stigma and promote infection prevention. According to her, protocols and guidelines are in place for case management, treatment and infection prevention and control while psychosocial support is available to the affected. Kenya is among the African countries that have reported mpox cases. The others are the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Cameroon, Liberia, Central African Republic, Nigeria, Cote d'Ivoire, Uganda, South Africa, Guinea, Gabon and Rwanda. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern on Aug. 14 and called for a coordinated global response. Source: The Namibia Press Agency