Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Health and Child Care announced on Sunday the country’s first two confirmed cases of mpox. The announcement, made by Health Minister Douglas Mombeshora, confirmed one case in Harare and another in the southern town of Mberengwa.
While the specific variant of the virus remains unspecified, the news comes amidst a global health alert following the World Health Organization’s declaration of mpox as a public health emergency in August.
Minister Mombeshora addressed journalists in Harare, providing details on the two patients.
“The Ministry of Health and Child Care wishes to inform the nation that Zimbabwe now has two (2) confirmed cases of Mpox: one in Harare and another in Mberengwa. Both cases are in isolation at home, and are receiving appropriate care. Both cases are stable and recovering,” he stated.
The first case involves an 11-year-old boy with a travel history to South Africa. He returned to Zimbabwe on September 10th, 2024, after travelling in August 2024, and developed symptoms on September 23rd, 2024.
“He developed symptoms September 23, 2024 but he is no longer infectious and recovering from home,” Minister Mombeshora explained. Seven contacts have been identified and are under observation.
The second case is a 24-year-old man who travelled to Tanzania. He returned to Zimbabwe on September 21st, 2024, having left on September 12th, 2024, and subsequently developed symptoms on September 29th, 2024.
The minister reported, “He is currently in isolation at home and is no longer infectious. Contact tracing and monitoring is underway.”
The Ministry’s statement reassured the public that the situation is under control.
“The Ministry of Health and Childcare wishes to reassure the public that the situation is under control and urges the Zimbabwean public not to panic,” the statement read.
This echoes similar reassurances from neighbouring Zambia, which also reported its first mpox case last week.
The World Health Organization’s declaration of mpox as a global public health emergency in August stemmed from the spread of a new, more easily transmissible variant, “clade 1b,” originating in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This new variant has caused international concern due to its increased transmissibility through routine close contact.
Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, typically presents with flu-like symptoms and characteristic pus-filled lesions. While usually mild, the illness can be fatal in some cases. In Africa alone, 7 535 confirmed cumulative cases and 32 deaths have been reported in 2024, according to the Africa Centre for Disease Control (CDC).
The WHO declared mpox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern under the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005) on August 14th, 2024, following the Africa CDC’s declaration on August 13th, 2024.
Zimbabwe’s health authorities have initiated a comprehensive response plan, including public awareness campaigns and training for healthcare workers. The government’s swift action in identifying and isolating the patients, coupled with the ongoing contact tracing, aims to prevent further spread of the virus.
