Health Ministry declares outbreak of Mpox in Swakopmund

Ministry of Health and Social Services has declared an outbreak of mpox in the coastal city of Swakopmund after confirming a single case linked to cross-border travel within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.

Health Minister Dr. Esperance Luvindao said the patient is being treated in isolation and remains in stable condition. “Surveillance, contact tracing, and response teams have been activated to contain the spread,” the ministry announced in a Facebook statement on Sunday.

Ministry spokesperson Walters Kamaya emphasized that while the detection of one case is sufficient to constitute an outbreak, the public should remain calm and avoid spreading unverified information.

“Once you have one case confirmed, that’s an outbreak. We’ve registered that one case and are conducting contact tracing,” Kamaya said. “We’ve also reactivated all our surveillance systems to contain the spread of the disease.”

Kamaya urged the public to seek accurate information directly from the Health Ministry or health facilities, warning against misinformation circulating online.

Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a viral disease that can spread through close contact with an infected person, animal, or contaminated materials. The Ministry has not reported any additional cases, but health teams are monitoring possible contacts in and around Swakopmund.

The Health Ministry said further updates will be provided as investigations continue. Seventeen African countries, including Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, and the DRC, are currently reporting outbreaks. This year alone, Africa has recorded more than 118,000 cases, surpassing last year’s total.