Expert at Tony Blair Institute warns Ghana to scale up surveillance against Monkeypox

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Monkeypox is not serious as Covid-19 but Ghana’s health authorities must scale up surveillance mechanisms against the outbreak in other countries, a Public Health Expert at Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, Dr Banda Khalifa, has said.

Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by infection with monkeypox virus.

Speaking on the News 360 on TV3 May 21, Dr Khalifa said prevention must be Ghana’s agenda following the outbreak in other parts of the world.

“Prevention is what we have to look out for,” he said, and further indicated that “not to sound the alarm but Monkeypox is not as severe as Covid 19.

“For now, all we have to do is for public health system to strengthen our surveillance mechanism.”

The BBC reports that more than 80 cases of monkeypox have been confirmed in at least 12 countries.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said another 50 suspected cases are being investigated – without naming any countries – and warned that more cases are likely to be reported.

Infections have been confirmed in nine European countries, as well as the US, Canada and Australia.

Source: 3news.com