The Health and Social Care (HSC) Portfolio is closely monitoring the ongoing global outbreak of mpox, a contagious viral illness. While there is currently no direct threat to St Helena, proactive measures are being taken to ensure the safety and well-being of the community.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a public health emergency due to a significant increase in mpox cases in Central Africa, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This outbreak is caused by a new strain of the monkeypox virus (clade 1b), which appears to be more infectious than the one that circulated globally in 2022.
While there have been no reports of clade 1b mpox in southern Africa, including St Helena, developments are being closely followed, and updates will be provided as needed.
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