By
Costa
Nkomo
Amid
growing
concerns
over
a
Mpox
outbreak
in
Zimbabwe,
where
two
cases
have
been
confirmed,
the
ruling
Zanu
PF
party
remains
committed
to
holding
its
annual
conference,
set
for
October
22-27
in
Bulawayo.
Health
Minister
Douglas
Mombeshora
confirmed
yesterday
that
the
two
cases
are
in
isolation
—
a
move
that
echoes
the
strict
regulations
imposed
during
the
COVID-19
pandemic.
Zanu
PF’s
Director
of
Communication,
Farai
Marapira,
dismissed
suggestions
that
the
event
could
be
postponed,
stating
that
the
party’s
health
department
is
well-prepared
to
address
any
potential
Mpox
risks.
“We
are
well
attuned
to
the
challenges
presented
by
Mpox,
and
we
are
already
communicating
to
our
structures
on
ways
of
preventing
its
spread,”
Marapira
told
CITE
on
Monday.
“We
will
remain
vigilant
during
the
conference,
with
safety
measures
firmly
in
place.”
The
Health
Ministry
has
not
confirmed
whether
restrictions
on
public
gatherings
will
return
but
has
promised
a
detailed
statement
on
Tuesday
morning.
In
a
statement
released
yesterday,
Dr
Mombeshora
updated
the
public
on
the
current
situation:
“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.”
Dr
Mombeshora
assured
the
public
that
both
patients
were
stable
and
on
the
road
to
recovery.
Mpox,
previously
known
as
Monkeypox,
was
declared
a
Public
Health
Emergency
of
Continental
Security
by
the
Africa
Centre
for
Disease
Control
(CDC)
on
August
13,
2024.
The
World
Health
Organisation
(WHO)
followed
suit,
declaring
it
a
Public
Health
Emergency
of
International
Concern
under
the
International
Health
Regulations
(IHR
2005)
on
August
14,
2024.
“In
Africa,
there
are
7,535
confirmed
cumulative
cases
of
Mpox
and
32
deaths
reported
so
far
in
2024,”
Dr.
Mombeshora
said.
Zimbabwe’s
first
confirmed
case
involved
an
11-year-old
boy
who
had
travelled
to
South
Africa
in
August
2024
and
returned
to
Zimbabwe
on
September
10.
He
developed
symptoms
on
September
23.
“He
is
currently
in
isolation
at
home
and
is
no
longer
infectious,”
Dr.
Mombeshora
added.
Dr
Mombeshora
stated
that
case
number
two
is
a
24-year-old
male
with
a
known
history
of
travel
to
Tanzania
on
the
14th
of
September
2024,
returning
on
the
21st
of
September
2024.
“He
developed
symptoms
on
the
29th
of
September
2024
and
is
currently
in
isolation
at
home
and
is
no
longer
infectious.
Contact
tracing
and
monitoring
are
underway,”
he
added.