Rwanda National Guideline for Surveillance and Management of Mpox

Year of Publication: 2024

Rwanda confirmed the first Mpox outbreak on 24th July, 2024 less than two weeks after neighboring country

DR Congo reported 25 cases in the border city of Goma. Both the two first mpox cases that were reported had a recent travel history to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) before the onset of symptoms. Since then, Rwanda has undertaken numerous prevention and control activities like enhanced surveillance and case detection, strengthening border health screening measures, training of healthcare workers on Mpox management, enhancing laboratory capacity for testing and diagnosis and public awareness in high-risk districts. The epidemiology of Mpox can be influenced by factors such as population density and urbanization, population mobility and cross border movements, the availability and accessibility of healthcare facilities can impact the management and containment of Mpox cases, the implementation and effectiveness of public health interventions including contact tracing and isolation protocols can significantly impact the spread of the virus.

The Rwandan Ministry of Health has collaborated with international organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) to enhance epidemic intelligence, diagnostic capabilities and public health preparedness. Additionally, efforts have been made to educate the public about the risks of Mpox and the importance of reporting suspected cases.