No case of new Mpox variant reported in Pakistan: Minister

Islamabad: Minister for Law and Justice and Human Rights Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar on Thursday said that no case of the new Mpox variant had been reported so far while screening was underway at all airports to monitor the spread of the disease.

Responding to a calling attention notice by Senator Zeeshan Khanzada, he said that Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif had directed the concerned departments to make strategies to control the spread of a new Mpox variant after the declaration of public health emergency by the World Health Organization on August 14.

Read More: Pak Army conducts over 130 CTO on daily basis: DG ISPR

He said the surveillance system had been activated at all airports to monitor international flights especially coming from central Africa while the National Command and Operation Center was monitoring the situation regularly.

The Minister informed that only five cases of the old variant of Mpox were reported yet while no case of the new variant was reported in the country. He said a sufficient quantity of kits and medical staff was available to deal with any emergency.