JOHANNESBURG, Aug. 16 -- Following the declaration of mpox as a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) by the World Health Organization (WHO) this week, South Africa's National Department of Health urged travelers, especially those from mpox-endemic countries, to cooperate with health officials at all ports of entry.

"Although you can't entirely prevent cross-border transmission of diseases, diseases have no boundaries. Working with the Border Management Authority, we have intensified health screening at ports of entry," said department spokesperson Foster Mohale.

South Africa has recorded 24 mpox cases, with three fatalities and two cases currently in isolation. Mohale said travelers displaying mpox symptoms at ports of entry are referred to nearby health centers.

Mohale noted that the WHO and Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) declaring mpox a public health emergency of international concern serves as a "clarion call" for members to collaborate in fast-tracking mpox treatment and vaccine approvals while maintaining strict protocols to prevent loss of life.

"Such declarations facilitate communication with vaccine manufacturers to increase treatment and vaccine stock for all countries," he told Xinhua over the phone Friday.

South Africa has received two batches of mpox treatment, totaling 30 to 40 doses, from the WHO for the current outbreak.

Mohale said this period would be followed by bilateral meetings, such as between individual countries and the WHO, as well as multilateral engagements involving the African Union. All the mpox cases recorded in South Africa so far have been among males, with some of the infected individuals living with underlying viruses like HIV.

Health experts in South Africa have stated that the current mpox outbreak is a continuation of the 2022 outbreak. Last week, the Africa CDC said some 38,465 mpox cases and 1,456 deaths had been reported in Africa since January 2022, affecting at least 16 countries across all five regions of Africa. The Democratic Republic of the Congo has been one of the countries most severely affected by the outbreak.

Mpox is an infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus that is spread through close contact, with symptoms including fever, swelling of the lymph nodes, sore throat, muscle aches, skin rash, and back pain.

  - Xinhua