:Ayesha arshad and knwal asim
Has monkeypox always been a disease limited to the African population
Certainly, it was largely so until recently. But the 2022 outbreak has now changed the whole context and raised alarming concerns. This kind of incremental spread from continent to continent must make headlines. Once the disease had been started to be reported in new geographical areas, it started spreading at an alarming rate. The reason why a few cases or transmissions stemming from these areas in the beginning did not issue any warning bells was due to the existing early detection and containment strategy failing.
Another area of concern is the perceived stigma around the sickness, more so because LGBTQ+ issues have been in the spotlight due to the outbreaks. Stigmatisation has resulted in avoidance and treatment delays that further hamper efforts to combat the virus. Vaccine shortages and a lack of pre-emptive measures have also been significant challenges, especially in poorer economies.
The focus now needs to be towards acquiring vaccines, as well as comprehensive public health messaging to correct misperceptions about vaccines. Disease surveillance systems need to be made more robust and healthcare access needed to be ensured without any discriminations to the needy. Moving forward, international collaboration on research and its funding is needed to develop innovative and safe vaccines and therapeutics.
