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Don’t repeat our COVID-19 mistakes with monkeypox
Playing-with-fire behavior could be avoided with monkeypox by fully trusting in science and allowing experts to lead the process.
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Batam Health Agency head Didi Kusumajadi (left) visits the Batam Free Trade Zone Hospital, Riau Islands, on Monday to inspect its isolation and emergency rooms, following findings of a rare monkeypox case in neighboring Singapore over the weekend. (JP/Fadli)
COVID-19 has not disappeared yet, but the world is on the brink of another potential public health crisis: Monkeypox. The World Health Organization's director general recently decided to declare the global monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC).
As of Monday, 75 countries and territories worldwide have reported the infection with a total of about 16,000 cases. Although Indonesia is still out of that list, we cannot afford to turn a blind eye to this alarming situation.
We have learned from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that ignorance is not bliss. In fact, ignorance is a recipe for disaster. And there are three mistakes in our early COVID-19 response that should not be repeated when dealing with monkeypox.
First, we should not be overconfident about our capacity. Back in the days prior to the national announcement of Indonesia's first COVID-19 cases, our officials persistently tried to convince the public that the virus was nowhere in the country — from claiming to be the only COVID-19-free Asian nation to spreading another unfounded statement of being immune thanks to the tropical climate.
Even the former health minister disregarded Harvard researchers’ finding concerning Indonesia’s potential unreported cases. This playing-with-fire behavior could be avoided for monkeypox by fully trusting in science and allowing experts to lead the process.
Second, we should recheck our existing medical supplies. In the early days of the COVID-19 outbreak, we were late in suspending the exports of personal protective equipment (PPE) and facial masks. It took two weeks from the first positive case until the export ban was enacted. As a result, the price of those goods became uncontrollable — that is, if they did not completely disappear from the market. In many regions, our healthcare workers even had to replace PPE with plastic raincoats that offered no biosafety protection.
This situation can be prevented in the case of monkeypox by ensuring that all necessary antiviral medications are in stock. Opening a channel of communication with vaccine manufacturers, like Bavarian Nordic A/S and Sanofi Pastuer Biologics Co, should also be considered while reviewing the availability of monkeypox testing equipment in health laboratories.
