Gov’t urges Amba fighters to allow health access as Mpox spreads  ⁰

Cameroonian government has issued an urgent plea to armed separatist groups in the country’s English-speaking regions, urging them to allow healthcare and humanitarian workers safe access to communities heavily affected by a growing Mpox outbreak.

The viral disease, historically known as monkeypox, was first confirmed in the conflict-hit Southwest region. It has since rapidly penetrated major economic hubs, including the coastal economic capital of Douala and Bafoussam, a vital commercial city in the West region.

Public anxiety has mounted significantly after authorities revealed that truck and bus drivers were among the first cluster of confirmed patients. Because these drivers form the backbone of the national supply chain, health officials fear the virus is actively moving along Cameroon’s primary transport networks.

Awa Fonka Augustine, the Governor of the West region, confirmed that three of the five drivers identified in Bafoussam have already been tracked, isolated, and placed under specialized care. Local authorities are also warning travelers and rural communities to exercise extreme caution when handling, purchasing, or consuming bushmeat, advising strict decontamination of transport vehicles with soap and water if wild game has been carried inside.

Source: ChannelAfrica