Male, May 23 (IANS) The rising mpox cases have exposed weaknesses in Pakistan’s healthcare system, raising concerns about the capacity of existing public health mechanisms to respond effectively, a report has said.

“Public health crisis seldom arrive with spectacle. They emerge quietly, building through scattered infections before revealing their full scale. In Pakistan, the recent rise in mpox cases reflects precisely such a pattern—one that is beginning to unsettle health authorities and expose vulnerabilities within the country’s disease surveillance systems,” a report in Maldivian media outlet Etruth MV mentioned.

According to the report, the infections that initially appeared to be isolated and travel-linked have now evolved into a more “complex epidemiological situation”.

“The confirmation of 26 mpox cases over the past year has prompted heightened vigilance, particularly in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where authorities have placed both public and private healthcare facilities on high alert,” it added.

The report noted that the transition from imported infections to suspected local transmission marks a critical juncture signalling not only the persistence of the virus but also the growing challenge of containing its spread within communities.

“When a disease establishes local transmission, containment becomes more complex. The chain of infection extends beyond identifiable entry points, making contact tracing more challenging and increasing the likelihood of undetected spread,” it stated.

The emergence of suspected local transmission, the report said, has drawn attention to the shortcomings in Pakistan’s disease surveillance infrastructure, where effective monitoring of infectious diseases depends on timely detection, accurate reporting and coordinated response mechanisms.

The gradual increase in mpox cases suggests that surveillance systems may have struggled to detect and contain the outbreak at an earlier stage.

Highlighting regional disparities in healthcare infrastructure within Pakistan, the report said provinces such as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa face unique challenges, including resource constraints and uneven access to medical facilities. It added that these factors can affect both detection and effectiveness of response efforts.

“The concentration of cases in specific regions may reflect differences in surveillance intensity rather than the actual distribution of infections. This raises the possibility that cases in other areas may remain undetected or underreported,” the report noted.

It said, “The situation also underscores the broader pressures facing the healthcare system, including resource constraints and competing priorities. These factors can influence the speed and effectiveness of responses to emerging threats,” emphasising the limitations of Pakistan’s healthcare system in responding to growing threats,

–IANS

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