Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Jagat Prakash Nadda on Saturday reviewed the preparedness for Monkeypox, days after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared it a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).

In a communique, the Health Ministry stated, “A detailed review of the Monkeypox situation and preparedness was conducted by Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Jagat Prakash Nadda at a meeting with senior officials of the ministry here on Saturday. As of now, there are no reported cases of Monkeypox in India.”

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The meeting chaired by the Health Minister decided to initiate certain steps as a precautionary measure. These include sensitising health units at all airports, seaports, and ground crossings; preparing 32 testing laboratories; and equipping health facilities for the detection, isolation, and management of any potential cases, it said.

The meeting noted that Monkeypox infections are usually self-limiting, lasting between 2-4 weeks, and patients generally recover with supportive management. Transmission requires prolonged close contact with an infected person, typically through sexual contact, direct contact with body or lesion fluids, or contaminated clothing and linen, the statement said.

“WHO had earlier declared Monkeypox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) in July 2022 and subsequently revoked it in May 2023. Globally, since 2022, WHO has reported 99,176 cases and 208 deaths due to Monkeypox across 116 countries. In India, a total of 30 cases were detected since the 2022 WHO declaration, with the most recent case reported in March 2024,” it said.

The Health Ministry also informed that a Joint Monitoring Group Meeting, chaired by the Director General of Health Services (DGHS) and consisting of experts from relevant fields, was held on 16th August to review the situation.

The meeting was attended by experts from the National Centre for Disease Control, World Health Organization, Indian Council of Medical Research, National Centre for Vector Borne Disease Control Programme, Directorate General of Health Services, Central Government Hospitals, and All India Institute of Medical Sciences, etc.

“Although the possibility of a few imported cases being detected in the coming weeks is not entirely ruled out, it was assessed that the risk of a large outbreak with sustained transmission is presently low for India,” it said.

The situation is being monitored closely by the ministry, the statement added.