WINDHOEK, Aug. 28 — Namibia has recorded 18 suspected cases of mpox, with 15 patients testing negative and results pending for three others, the Ministry of Health and Social Services said Tuesday. The ministry is closely monitoring the mpox outbreak, which has been declared a public health emergency by both the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization earlier this month, Executive Director Ben Nangombe said in a statement. Nangombe said Namibia has not yet confirmed any mpox cases, but the country has a strong surveillance system to quickly identify, test, and monitor individuals showing symptoms of the disease. “All individuals who are investigated for mpox are regarded as suspected cases until laboratory confirmation is received,” he said, adding that if the laboratory results are negative, the respective patient will continue to be monitored and managed for other illnesses, as appropriate.
Currently, 25 out of 36 hospitals across the country have available isolation facilities, with an additional 11 hospitals repurposing their facilities to accommodate mpox cases if necessary, he said. Mpox, also known as monkeypox, is an infectious disease transmitted between animals and humans. The African region has been experiencing an unprecedented increase in mpox cases since January, with more countries that were previously unaffected now reporting cases. Since mid-July, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda have all reported cases for the first time.
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