Monkeypox steering committee established to monitor disease

The Health Ministry has established a steering committee as part of efforts to prepare for the monkeypox virus reaching here, according to Health Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony.

Dr. Anthony revealed that research has shown that persons younger than 40 years old are more likely to contract the virus because this age cohort has never been immunised with the smallpox vaccine. The minister said that Government noted that the vaccine used for small pox has shown promising results, and will be used to immunise persons against monkeypox.

“In most of the world, smallpox is being eliminated, so the last set of vaccines that probably have been given was around the 1980s. So, persons now who are younger than 40, they don’t have any immunity against smallpox and obviously monkeypox. So, with the circulation of this, with cases going around this younger population can be vulnerable, and that’s what we’re seeing globally,” minister Dr. Anthony said during Friday’s COVID-19 update.

The health minister said that monkeypox is becoming an emerging problem as the virus continues to spread. It was noted that cases have been recorded in more than 68 countries worldwide. “We have been monitoring what is happening globally, and we have established a technical committee within the ministry to monitor, and to issue guidance to other clinicians and public health practitioners as it relates to monkeypox,” he said.

The minister explained that the committee sought guidance from the Center for Disease Control (CDC), World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) to establish local guidelines.

Further, the minister disclosed that it is also responsible for creating a document which defines what monkeypox is, what are the clinical signs and symptoms, and how to conduct testing and diagnose the disease.

“That document has been finalised, and is being circulated to healthcare workers across the country so that they can use that as reference or guidance material,” he said.

Additionally, the committee has also planned a number of workshops to meet with persons at high risk of contracting the disease. It revealed that the workshops will begin Monday and will be taken to all regions countrywide.

The health minister pointed out in terms of testing for the monkeypox virus, said, “we have also identified personnel within the public health system to train them in how to do the test for monkeypox, and we have trained persons how to collect samples…and we’ll make sure we have capacity in every region of Guyana.”

It was revealed that a technical incident team was also established to ascertain whether someone is infected with monkeypox. The minister added that a team consists of infectious diseases specialists and dermatologists, along with public health and laboratory officials.