The Cabinet reassures the nation that the Mpox outbreak is under control, despite its recent escalation to an international health emergency.
During a Cabinet media briefing in Pretoria on Thursday, minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, provided an update on the current situation.
Ntshavheni said the World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared Mpox a public health emergency of international concern, while the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has classified it as a public health emergency of continental security.
She reported that South Africa has recorded a total of 24 positive Mpox cases to date. These include three fatalities, 19 recoveries, and two active cases currently undergoing home isolation.
“Of these, 12 cases were reported in Gauteng, 11 in KwaZulu-Natal, and one in the Western Cape,” Ntshavheni detailed.
In response to the outbreak, Cabinet has urged the public to support the government’s efforts to curb the spread of Mpox. They emphasised the importance of vigilance and the continuation of non-pharmaceutical interventions, such as maintaining heightened personal hygiene, to prevent further transmission.
“Cabinet supports the call by President Cyril Ramaphosa in his capacity as the African Union (AU) Champion on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response for all partners to collaborate closely with the Africa CDC to ensure that there is appropriate support from the international community, guaranteeing equitable access to medical countermeasures, including diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines,” Ntshavheni said.
In addition to addressing the Mpox outbreak, the Cabinet acknowledged the significant progress made in combating foot and mouth disease (FMD) in the Kouga and Kou-Kamma local municipalities in the Eastern Cape. Ntshavheni said that the last clinical case was reported in mid-July.
Ntshavheni noted that animal movements in and out of the affected areas are being closely monitored to prevent the spread of FMD to unaffected regions. She highlighted the ongoing requirement for a transport permit from local state veterinary offices for the movement of livestock, as part of the Disease Management Area regulations.
“The 30 cattle farms that have tested positive for the disease have been placed under quarantine, and vaccination efforts continue to control the spread of infection and reduce the severity of clinical symptoms,” she said.
Ntshavheni also informed that a pre-emptive vaccination has been carried out on 37 farms, which were identified as high risk due to their proximity to infected areas.
‘’In total, over 92,000 cattle and nearly 600 sheep across 67 farms have been vaccinated’’, she said.
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