KEY POINTS
- Zimbabwe reported its first two cases of Mpox, an unspecified variant, marking the virus’s entry into the country’s public health landscape.
- Mpox is a zoonotic viral disease related to smallpox. It can spread through close contact with infected animals or human-to-human transmission via bodily fluids or respiratory droplets.
- Zimbabwe’s healthcare system faces significant challenges, including resource limitations, which may affect its ability to contain the spread of Mpox.
Zimbabwe, a country that has experienced some public health issues in the past, has identified its first two Mpox (previously known as monkeypox). The news has caused worries in the community, especially with the unknown type of virus that has been introduced. As mentioned in a report made by Reuters, it also marks a new phase in Zimbabwe’s ongoing struggle against communicable diseases and casts doubt on the nation’s readiness and capacity to confront this new health challenge.
A brief history of public health in Zimbabwe
The healthcare provision in Zimbabwe has gone through some changes over the years as this paper is going to show. In the early years of the country’s independence, there were great achievements in the development of the framework of public health. However, political instability, economic collapse, and sanctions have affected healthcare services, especially since the year 2000.
Zimbabwe has been confronted with many problems such as the outbreak of cholera in 2008, which affected over 4,000 people, malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS. However, the country has been able to achieve some stability in disease prevention through international cooperation and increasing emphasis on vaccination and primary healthcare.
Mpox: a global and local threat
Mpox is an infectious disease that is spread through animals and is in the same family as smallpox. Mainly it is acquired from infected animals, but person-to-person transmission may occur through contact with blood, lesions, or respiratory secretions. The usual symptoms are fever, rash, and swollen lymph nodes with complications being secondary infections, respiratory problems, and death in some instances.
Although Mpox had rather limited, localized epidemic patterns worldwide, the appearance of a new variant in Zimbabwe adds a new dimension to the problem. This is a worry for health officials in Zimbabwe because, while the nation’s healthcare system remains somewhat weak, more cases could overwhelm it.
Healthcare system preparedness: a mixed bag
Zimbabwe’s healthcare has received some enhancement in the recent past with assistance from global non-governmental organizations. However, the country still faces some challenges concerning resource scarcity, particularly the human resources in health, diagnostic equipment, and medicine. This could be a big problem in handling the Mpox cases because it is very important to identify, isolate, and treat the affected persons so as to avoid the spread of the virus.
The government has assured the public that measures are being taken to contain the virus, but the question remains: how well can Zimbabwe handle this problem? Mandatory vaccination against Mpox is not common like polio or measles vaccination. The smallpox vaccine that gives some protection against Mpox is not usually given in Zimbabwe, and that could put a huge number of people at risk.
Comparing Mpox response to past health crises
The problem arises when one tries to compare the current response to Mpox with previous public health emergencies in Zimbabwe. The country has had a past of slow reaction to outbreaks as seen in the cholera outbreak of 2008 where a slow response saw thousands of people dying. But over the recent past, the government has sought to enhance early warning systems and quick response mechanisms, especially after learning from the COVID-19 crisis.
The COVID-19 outbreak forced Zimbabwe to embrace a lockdown, testing, and later on, vaccines perhaps a bit later than other countries. The encounter with a global pandemic may have helped the country to gain knoweldge of how to contain viral outbreaks such as Mpox. However, due to the newness of this virus in Zimbabwe, more information and research have to be conducted to understand its nature in the region.
Containing the spread: what Zimbabwe needs
To prevent the further spread of this Mpox outbreak in Zimbabwe, several measures must be implemented. First, there is a need to educate the public on health. Citizens should be educated on the kind of virus that is around, how it is transmitted, and the need to seek medical intervention early enough. The use of mass media campaigns, as was done in the HIV/AIDS epidemic could go a long way in increasing awareness and avoiding the spread of myths.
Second, Zimbabwe needs to improve her health care infrastructure. This means expanding the personnel who can detect and manage Mpox, enhancing the diagnostic tests, and strengthening the isolation procedures. The World Health Organization (WHO), and other international organizations could play a key role in offering the required support and services that would help in these efforts.
Third, there is the need for regional cooperation. Mpox is not selective of countries, and Zimbabwe needs to improve its collaboration with its neighbors to contain the virus. Efforts in surveillance, research, and distribution of vaccines can reduce the risks of a broader outbreak in southern Africa.
Vaccination and treatment: the way forward?
Vaccination seems to be the best way of avoiding the transmission of Mpox in Zimbabwe. Nevertheless, the problem is to obtain sufficient doses of the smallpox vaccine that is known to have efficacy against Mpox. Zimbabwe may have to seek funds from international health organizations to buy vaccines and establish an immunization campaign. Further, studies into antiviral drugs and other approaches to the treatment of the disease could offer a way of controlling it.
The coming of Mpox in Zimbabwe is both a threat and a potential. Although the country’s healthcare system is under pressure, its recent experience with the COVID-19 pandemic may contain some lessons on how to contain this new viral threat. This paper has identified the following variables as central to the country’s ability to respond to Mpox: public awareness, healthcare preparedness, and international cooperation. The effectiveness or ineffectiveness of these measures will determine the country’s capacity to handle future outbreaks of diseases of public health significance.
