The Ministry of National Health Services and Regulations confirmed the sixth case of mpox (monkeypox) in Pakistan on Monday, involving a 44-year-old patient with a travel history to the Gulf region.

The case was detected by Border Health Services during screening at Islamabad Airport. The patient is currently in isolation at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) and is reportedly in good health.

Prime Minister’s Coordinator on National Health, Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed Bharath, assured that rigorous screening measures are in place, with over 630,000 passengers screened so far. Following the first mpox detection in Pakistan, national health authorities have increased vigilance at airports and border points.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) recently approved the first monkeypox vaccine, MVA-BN, with an effectiveness of 76% after the first dose and 82% after the second. This vaccine is a key step in the ongoing global fight against the virus.