SUVA, May 24 (Xinhua) -- Fiji's Ministry of Health is putting necessary strategies to protect Fiji from any possible Monkeypox cases.
Head of Health Protection in Fiji Aalisha Sahukhan said Fiji must be prepared, according to reports by Fiji Broadcasting Corporation (FBC) on Tuesday.
"This is an example of another disease that is spreading worldwide and in Fiji, we would have to be prepared, because we are all interconnected now. We have international travel that is ongoing just as pre-pandemic -- that was normal for our borders to be open and for flights to be going. It's very normal for us to be getting people coming from Europe and the United States. We need to understand what this disease is so that we are better prepared to respond if we were to get a case in Fiji," Sahukhan said.
Sahukhan said the disease is a self-limiting illness with an incubation period ranging from five to 21 days.
Meanwhile, Fiji's Ministry of Health launched the Infection Prevention Control (IPC) Guideline on Tuesday. Permanent Secretary for Health James Fong said that without effective IPC, it is impossible to achieve quality health care delivery.
"Infection prevention and control affects all aspects of health care, including hand hygiene, surgical site infections, injection safety, antimicrobial resistance and how hospitals operate during and outside of emergencies."
Fong added that IPC will provide the core components of a guideline that will provide health care administrators with a framework to prevent and control infection transmission.
Monkeypox is spread from animals to humans and can be fatal to children and people whose immune systems are weak. ■