Prithviraj Chavan Urges Mumbai Airport to Implement Mpox Testing and Quarantine
Former Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Prithviraj Chavan, has called for proactive measures to implement testing and quarantine facilities at Mumbai Airport in response to the global spread of the monkeypox (Mpox) virus.
In a letter to the state’s Chief Minister, Eknath Shinde, Chavan recommended the immediate implementation of testing and quarantine facilities at Mumbai Airport for passengers arriving from high-incidence countries. He noted that this measure was inadequately enforced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chavan stated, “The WHO has recently declared Mpox a ‘public health emergency.’ The virus, which originated in Africa, is now spreading rapidly and has reached Pakistan. I strongly urge the government to take proactive steps to prevent its entry and transmission within our country.”
He emphasized the need for timely action, warning that any delay could lead to severe consequences if an infected individual is allowed to enter India undetected.
On Wednesday, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared Mpox a public health emergency of international concern. This decision comes amid a rapid surge in the spread of the disease in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and its detection in neighbouring countries. Mpox has been detected in 10 African nations this year, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention reported last week. Over 96 per cent of the cases are located in the DRC.
Earlier on Thursday, Pakistan’s federal health ministry confirmed the country’s first Mpox case. On Friday, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) health department confirmed two more Mpox cases in the province. On Thursday, the Swedish government also confirmed its first case of Mpox, marking the first case of the variant outside Africa.
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Prithviraj Chavan -: Prithviraj Chavan is a politician in India who was once the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, a state in India.
Mumbai Airport -: Mumbai Airport is a big airport in Mumbai, a large city in India. Many people travel in and out of India through this airport.
Mpox -: Mpox is another name for monkeypox, a virus that can make people sick. It has spread to different countries around the world.
Quarantine -: Quarantine means keeping people who might be sick away from others to stop the spread of disease.
Eknath Shinde -: Eknath Shinde is the current Chief Minister of Maharashtra, the leader of the state government.
WHO -: WHO stands for the World Health Organization. It is a group that helps keep people healthy all around the world.
Public health emergency -: A public health emergency is when a disease is spreading quickly and can make many people sick, so special actions are needed to control it.
Democratic Republic of Congo -: The Democratic Republic of Congo is a country in Africa where many cases of the Mpox virus have been found.
