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Former Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Prithviraj Chavan, has called for proactive measures to implement testing and quarantine facilities at Mumbai Airport in response to the global spread of the monkeypox (Mpox) virus.
In a letter to the state's Chief Minister, Eknath Shinde, on Friday, Chavan recommended "the immediate implementation of testing and quarantine facilities at Mumbai Airport for passengers arriving from high-incidence countries, a measure that was inadequately enforced during the COVID-19 pandemic." Chavan further stated that "the WHO has recently declared Mpox a 'public health emergency.' The virus, which originated in Africa, is now spreading rapidly and has reached Pakistan. I strongly urge the government to take proactive steps to prevent its entry and transmission within our country." Chavan also emphasised the need for timely action, warning that "any delay could lead to severe consequences if an infected individual is allowed to enter India undetected." On Wednesday, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared Mpox a public health emergency of international concern. This decision comes amid a rapid surge in the spread of the disease in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and its detection in neighbouring countries. Mpox has been detected in 10 African nations this year, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention reported last week. According to Al Jazeera, over 96 per cent of the cases are located in the DRC. Earlier on Thursday, Pakistan's federal health ministry confirmed the country's first Mpox case. On Friday, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) health department confirmed two more Mpox cases in the province, as reported by the Express Tribune. On Thursday, the Swedish government also confirmed its first case of Mpox, marking the first case of the variant outside Africa, according to Al Jazeera. (ANI)
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