Here’s how Asian countries reacted to the WHO’s emergency declaration | Real Time Headlines

Asian countries are closely monitoring MPOX cases after the World Health Organization recently announced an escalation of the outbreak in Africa. global public health emergency.

Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, are divided into two distinct groups: clade 1 and clade 2. Can be spread through direct contact Contact with infected people, animals or contaminated items.

Clade 2 is responsible for the 2022 outbreak, which resulted in About 100,000 cases worldwideBut now, a version of clade 1 that began spreading in the Democratic Republic of Congo in January 2023 has now spread internationally, according to NBC News.

“It is clear that a coordinated international response is needed to stop these outbreaks and save lives,” WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in making the statement.

Thursday, Sweden reports first known case of clade 1 outside Africa. Then on Monday, philippines report This is the first case of MPOX since December, but the strain has not yet been identified.

Here’s how Asia’s four largest economies have responded so far:

Chinese Customs authorities announced They will increase surveillance at ports of entry.

The General Administration of Customs stated that persons coming from countries and regions with confirmed cases of measles, who have been exposed to measles, and have symptoms such as fever, headache, backache, rash, etc. must declare their illness to the customs.

Planes and ships carrying containers and cargo arriving from countries and regions with MPOX cases will also be disinfected, Cover local news.

The measures came into effect on Thursday and will be implemented over the next six months.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been continuously monitoring the measles epidemic in the country ministry of health and family welfare said in a statement.

The last case of MPOX was detected in March, and as of Sunday, no cases had been reported in the country, according to officials.

India’s National Center for Disease Control held meetings of health experts over the past week to assess risks, officials said. The international airport’s health team is also aware of the situation.

Health authorities also announced they would step up surveillance to quickly identify potential cases and increase laboratory testing capacity for early diagnosis, officials added, without providing any further details in the statement.

Healthcare providers like hospitals and clinics are also tasked with raising awareness about the virus.

Japanese officials met on Friday to discuss possible actions and review strategy, local news coverageand agreed to collect data from countries with confirmed outbreaks.

According to the Japan Times, authorities plan to raise awareness about measles and its spread among travelers entering and leaving the country. It is unclear whether the country will implement any additional measures.

At the same time, the media added that the country’s Health Minister Keizo Takemi recently stated at a press conference that Tokyo is preparing to ship Japanese-made vaccines to Congo upon request.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said that while the MPO situation remains “controllable” under existing measures, quarantine and surveillance efforts will still be strengthened. local news.

The KDCA made the comments Friday after holding a meeting with medical experts to discuss the risks of the outbreak.

During the meeting, officials decided to implement quarantine measures for passengers on direct flights from countries where “epidemiological investigators and public health doctors are deployed on-site,” and decided not to reissue last May’s announcement, The Korea Times reported. The crisis alert was lifted in March.

South Korea also plans to step up publicity campaigns to urge people with symptoms to seek medical attention immediately.