Cabinet has declared that the Mpox outbreak is still under control, assuring the South African public that measures to prevent its spread are underway.
The disease has now been declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS) by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
Addressing the media during a post-Cabinet media briefing in Pretoria on Thursday, Minister in The Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni reported that to date, the total number of positive cases recorded in South Africa stands at 24. The cases include three deaths, 19 recoveries and two active cases undergoing home isolation.
“Of these, 12 cases were reported in Gauteng, 11 in KwaZulu-Natal and one in the Western Cape,” Ntshavheni told the media.
The minister called on members of the public to play their part by supporting the “government’s efforts to prevent the spread of Mpox” by remaining vigilant and exercising non-pharmaceutical interventions such as heightened personal hygiene.
RELATED STORY: Africa CDC declares Mpox a public health emergency.
