The National Academy of Medicines of Venezuela pronounced this Sunday to reinforce the epidemiological surveillance of monkeypox after the declaration of Public Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organization (OMS).
In a statement published on its social networks, the Academy He stressed that the WHO declared the international outbreak of monkeypox as a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern”, putting it in the same category of urgency as the Covid-19 pandemic and polio eradication.
Although monkeypox has been endemic for several years in certain West and Central African countries, Since the beginning of last May, the virus has spread to 75 countries, reaching some 16,000 cases so far, with five deaths. Although the outbreak is moderate in Venezuela, where only one case has been confirmed, now is the time to act energetically to prevent the spread of the virus, since an objective of public health is to prevent epidemics before they spread. of control.
The National Academy of Medicine recommends that you implement:
1) Declare a health alarm that allows mobilizing resources and undertaking the necessary actions, in collaboration with civil society and with strict adherence to respect for human rights;
2) Secure transparency in information management with due respect for privacy;
3) Strengthen the capacity for molecular diagnosis and genetic monitoring of the virus;
4) Develop active epidemiological surveillance programs, including at sexually transmitted infection clinics;
5) Begin appropriate due diligence to ensure future access to antivirals and monkeypox vaccines.
The World Health Organization has declared Monkeypox an International Public Health Emergency given the progressive emergence of 16,000 cases in 75 countries. Our Academy issues the following Bulletin with guidelines for the country’s health authorities. pic.twitter.com/o2hfZ3clNH
– National Academy of Medicine of Venezuela (@acamedve1) July 24, 2022