The Union government has constituted a task force to monitor the monkeypox situation across the nation. Mr. Durgesh Nandan Jha reported that the government has mandated the task force to monitor and provide guidance on the expansion of diagnostic facilities as well as to explore vaccination for infection. An official source stated that Dr. VK Paul, NITI Aayog, along with Union Health Secretary, Dr. Rajesh Bhushan, and other senior health officials, are the members of the task force.

This move came amid the constant rise in the cases of viral infection by the monkeypox virus, which was declared a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organisation in July 2022. In India, six cases of monkeypox have been reported so far – four from Kerala and two from Delhi. 

(Source: https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/nation/government-sets-up-task-force-on-monkeypox-417886 )