The Ministry of Health summoned the ministers of the Mercosur area and representatives of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to provide a regional response to monkeypox in terms of monitoring cases, speeding up diagnosis and potential vaccines, he reportedto health portfolio.
The Minister of Health, Carla Vizzotti, made the call by participating virtually in an extraordinary meeting with her peers from Mercosur and associated States, and with representatives of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).
The purpose of the meeting was to analyze the situation of monkeypox in the region yeEvaluate initiatives to improve access to medicines, vaccines and other health technologies regarding this disease.
The ministers agreed that there is still there is no scientific evidence to advance the acquisition of vaccines and antiviral drugs with potential therapeutic effect against Still no WHO recommendation.
“We have learned with the pandemic that collective, joint and regional responses are much more powerful than individual responses. For this reason, it seemed very appropriate to find this space to make a diagnosis of the situation of our region in relation to monkeypox”, Vizzotti indicated.
The minister highlighted the concern recently emerged due to the growth of monkeypox cases in many countries of the world and pointed out the importance of carrying out an analysis in relation to the extension of the circulation, and Know the PAHO definitions on a possible acquisition of medicines, antivirals and vaccines.
The official offered the participation and collaboration of the authorities and technicians of the reference laboratory of the National Administration of Laboratories and Institutes of Health (Anlis) “Dr. Carlos Malbrán” to present about the advances in the investigation of the cases detected in Argentina.
For its part, the subregional director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) for South America, Pier Paolo Baladelli, highlighted that WHO “has developed interim guidance on clinical management, prevention, and infection control for monkeypox with an integrating and broad look”,
PAHO technical representatives reported that there are currently two vaccines, but only one of them, known generically as the Modified Ankara Nordic Bavarian strain of vaccinia, or MVA-BN, is reportedly being evaluated for use against monkeypox, whose availability is limited and has a high cost.
In this framework, the immunization unit of the PAHO evaluated the different evidence and in the next few days will announce the evaluation and technical recommendation.
Although the WHO did not issue a recommendation for the application of vaccines against monkeypox in the general population, “PAHO’s Revolving Fund is in dialogue with vaccine producers on behalf of the 42 countries and territories of the region participating in the mechanism “, highlighted the PAHO representatives.
In this sense, he assured that smallpox vaccination “protects against monkeypox, although more studies on decreased immunity are needed for people who received the dose decades ago.”
With respect to antiviral treatmentsindicated that so far none of the available options showed clinical efficacy and safety in randomized controlled trials against this disease
