ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA INCREASES SURVEILLANCE FOR MPOX AS GLOBAL EMERGENCY IS DECLARED

Surveillance is being increased at the country's ports of entry and at healthcare facilities nationwide for Mpox. That is one of the outcomes of an emergency meeting of the Health Disaster Executive convened by Health Minister Hon. Sir Molwyn Joseph on Thursday. The Health Ministry assures that the laboratory at Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre is also equipped to conduct diagnostic testing of suspected cases, if needed. The executive was formed before the COVID-19 pandemic and is made up of senior health officials and experts. The emergency meeting of the Health Disaster Executive was called in the wake of the World Health Organisation declaring Mpox, formerly called Monkeypox, as a public health emergency of international concern.