2024-08-15 00:02:28
After the World Health Organization (WHO) declared MPOX a public health emergency of international concern, experts say Canada must respond.
Posted at 8:02pm yesterday
Nicole Ireland Canadian Press
“Once a fire breaks out, we all put it out quickly and the whole village is safe. If you let the houses in the village catch fire, sooner or later the fire will come and burn you to death,” says Canadian Epidemiology and Global Studies at McGill University in Montreal. said Dr. Madhukar Pai, Chair of Health Research.
The WHO statement comes as MPOX, also known as monkeypox, has spread in Congo and appeared in neighboring Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, where no cases had been previously reported.
Other African countries have also experienced outbreaks of different branches (or types) of MPOX. An emergency committee of independent experts told the WHO director-general they were concerned “about the potential for the virus to spread to other countries in Africa and possibly beyond the continent,” according to a statement.
Photos courtesy of NIAID, AP News Archives
This undated image provided by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases shows a color transmission electron micrograph of monkeypox particles (red) found within infected cells (blue).
Although Canada’s current risk is low, declaring an international emergency is a signal that requires all countries to report MPOX cases in their countries and share resources to help the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CCPM) control the epidemic. said.
“What we should do is immediately join forces with other countries in the northern hemisphere – the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe. [et] “Come forward with a package of funding, resources, vaccines, medicines, testing, everything JPAC Africa needs to defeat this pandemic before it becomes a real global threat,” Dr. Pai warned.
He believes that doing so is not only a “good citizen of the world,” but also the best way to prevent MPOX from spreading and becoming a bigger threat to Canada.
“We cannot afford another global outbreak. The time to act is now – but it’s too late and suddenly she’s performing in Montreal. That was in Toronto… and then there’s a scramble to try and outdo her. With help now Compared to Africa, we will invest millions of dollars here to deal with this problem,” Dr. Pai said.
Photo: Arlette Bashizi, Reuters Archives
The World Health Organization said one of the main reasons for declaring an international emergency was the emergence of a new strain of MPOX, known as clade Ib, which is spreading rapidly and appears to cause more severe disease.
Jason Kindrachuk, Canada Research Chair in Emerging and Re-emerging Viruses at the University of Manitoba, agrees.
“Viruses and emerging infectious diseases do not respect international borders and do not issue passports,” he said in an interview.
He added: “When we allow these things to spread more widely between communities and countries … the greater the risk of spread within our own countries.”
Mr. Kindrachuk also highlighted the financial consequences Canada and other countries will face if they do not respond quickly.
Whenever these outbreaks escalate to the point of triggering a public health emergency, whether local or global, significant economic and resource efforts must be expended to control this phase of the situation.
Jason Kindrachuk, Research Chair in Emerging and Re-emerging Viruses, University of Manitoba, Canada
The World Health Organization said one of the main reasons for declaring an international emergency was the emergence of a new strain of MPOX, known as clade Ib, which is spreading rapidly and appears to cause more severe disease.
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) confirmed in a news release emailed Wednesday that there have been no cases of branch I in Canada.
“PHAC is closely monitoring the increase in MPOX branch I cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Congo) and adjacent areas and is liaising with partners and subject matter experts to update risk assessments, public health guidance and travel health advisories as appropriate,” the agency said. Ontario is also monitored for an increase in MPOX clade II cases.
Mpox clade II is a milder form of the virus that emerged during the 2022 outbreak in Canada.
The Canadian Press’s medical coverage is supported by a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. PC is solely responsible for this content.
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