Jakarta –
Sudan’s Ministry of Health reports a case monkey pox first in the country. The monkeypox infected a 16-year-old student.
“The Ministry of Health registers cases” monkey pox The first confirmed case was in a 16-year-old student in the Sudanese state of West Darfur,” the Sudanese Ministry of Health said.
The gender of the patient was not explained.
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The director of epidemic control, Montaser Othman, said there were about 38 other “suspected cases”. However, all of them tested negative for the virus.
He added an investigation was being carried out by the federal and state health ministries to determine the source of the infection.
The impoverished northeastern African nation is particularly vulnerable because of its poor public health services.
According to the UN children’s agency UNICEF, only 70 per cent of the 45 million population have “access to health facilities within 30 minutes of driving from their homes” in Sudan. Meanwhile, 13 of the 18 states will suffer from an outbreak of vector-borne disease by 2021.
Last month WHO stated monkey pox as a public health emergency of international concern. That’s the highest alarm that can be sounded.
(lir/lir)
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