Following the announcement by the Ministry of Health and Social Protection that a confirmed case of monkeypox (Mpox) was recorded in Morocco on Thursday, September 12, specifically in Marrakech, Dr. Taib Hamdi, a researcher in health policies and systems, affirmed that the Moroccan health system is capable of detecting cases of monkeypox, conducting tests, and confirming them. He added that this indicates the health surveillance and monitoring system is effective.
In a statement to "Les Echos 24," Hamdi explained that the World Health Organization's guidelines on epidemic management indicate that the objective of the alert protocol in Morocco and other countries regarding monkeypox is "not to prevent the virus from entering, as this is impossible."
He further detailed that there are three main goals of the vigilance and monitoring system and the protocol for monkeypox. The first goal is the early detection of incoming cases; the sooner we detect these cases, the more successful we will be in containing the disease. Conversely, if we fail to detect them early, there will be a higher number of incoming cases, leading to wider spread of the disease.
The second goal is to reduce local transmission among citizens. The third goal is to manage, isolate, and treat patients. Hamdi emphasized the effectiveness of the surveillance and vigilance system and the Moroccan health system’s capability to handle this virus.
Hamdi noted that two questions remain unanswered by the Ministry of Health's announcement. The first question is whether the case is imported or local. The second question is whether it concerns the first genetic lineage that spreads in Central and East Africa or the second genetic lineage of the virus that was prevalent in 2022, as there are differences between them.