Friday, August 23, 2024 In response to the recent detection of a potentially more serious variant of Mpox in Sweden and Thailand, Singapore has swiftly introduced precautionary screening measures at its major airports, Changi and Seletar. The move, which forms part of a broader strategy to protect public health, reflects Singapore’s commitment to maintaining robust defenses against emerging infectious diseases, especially as international travel continues to recover post-pandemic. Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, has been a growing concern for global health authorities, particularly since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared it a global public health emergency on August 14 for the second time in two years.
This decision was prompted by the alarming spread of the disease, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where more than 27,000 cases and over 1,300 deaths have been reported since January 2023. The identification of a potentially more virulent variant of Mpox in Sweden and Thailand has further escalated concerns. The variant’s increased transmissibility and severity of symptoms pose a significant challenge to global health systems, particularly in densely populated urban areas where the disease could spread rapidly.
In light of these developments, Singapore’s Ministry of Health (MOH), in collaboration with the Ministry of Transport and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, has introduced temperature and visual screening for all passeng.