"Migrant workers' living conditions in focus after new mpox cases in Nepal,"

The second and third cases of mpox recently confirmed in Nepal were migrant workers who returned from Saudi Arabia 10 days apart.

Doctors who recorded the case history of the second patient, a 36-year-old man, said he admitted to having sexual contact just a few days before returning to Nepal.

However, the third patient, a 44-year-old man, denied having any sexual contact but said other members sharing his room had symptoms that matched his own. This hints at the unsafe working and living conditions faced by migrant workers in Gulf countries like Saudi Arabia.

"Thousands of Nepalis are working in West Asia," said Dr Sher Bahadur Pun, chief of the Clinical Research Unit at Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital. "Most are low-skilled workers in sectors like construction, manufacturing, and hospitality, and are exposed to numerous health risks. Poor living and working conditions, and lack of access to healthcare make them highly vulnerable to health risks including deadly diseases."

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