Health expert Dr Jacqueline Weyer says some HIV-positive people’s failure to comply with their medication has far-reaching implications. She says such people are at a high risk of contracting the M-Pox disease because their bodies are susceptible to opportunistic infections.
The country has recorded its first M-Pox death. There are five reported cases, three in KwaZulu-Natal and two in Gauteng.
Weyer says the deceased, who has been identified as man, suffered from pneumonia and was later diagnosed with M-Pox. She says the outbreak of the disease in the country is extremely worrying.
“So, we do take M-Pox seriously, this is not a disease that we usually find in the South African population. And measures can be taken to protect our population. We also know that we have a high prevalence of HIV and many cases that go unmanaged. So, it’s those unmanaged cases and other causes of immunosuppression that worries us. These individuals are at high risk for severe M-Pox.”
Minister Phaahla’s briefing on M-Pox:
