Health
WHO chief says monkeypox is now a global emergency
The head of the World Health Organization declared monkeypox a global health emergency on Saturday.
UN health agency Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made the announcement after the WHO’s expert committee couldn’t reach a consensus on whether to apply the highest level of alert to the virus.
The “global emergency” designation may help spur more investment in combatting the disease amid a scramble for scarce vaccines, USA Today reported.
There is “a clear risk of further international spread,” Ghebreyesus said in a statement.
“So in short, we have an outbreak that has spread around the world rapidly, through new modes of transmission, about which we understand too little,” he said.
“… For all of these reasons, I have decided that the global monkeypox outbreak represents a public health emergency of international concern.”
Symptoms of the disease begin to appear seven to 14 days after exposure and include fever, muscle aches, exhaustion and a rash that can appear on the body.
So far, monkeypox deaths have only been reported in Africa, where a more dangerous version of the virus is spreading.
Last month, 3,040 monkeypox cases had been reported in 47 countries. Since then, the outbreak has ballooned to more than 16,000 reported cases in more than 70 countries.
In the meantime, the officials of Ministry of Public Health in Afghanistan have said about the preparation of the Ministry to prevent this virus, saying that no positive sample of this virus has been registered in the country so far.
In addition, this ministry said that it would quarantine suspicious people at the borders of the country.
“We have our own measures to prevent this virus, and most of these cases are transmitted as a result of travel, and we have considered appropriate quarantine places for infected people,” said Sharafat Zaman, a spokesperson for the health ministry.
Afghanistan’s Minister of Public Health, Noor Jalal Jalali, has called for India’s cooperation in the standardization and development of traditional medicine during a meeting with India’s Minister for Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH), Prataprao Jadhav.
The meeting focused on establishing a traditional medicine institute and a research center in Kabul, cooperation in training qualified professionals, and the signing of a bilateral memorandum of understanding. Minister Jalali stressed that standardizing traditional medicine is a pressing priority for Afghanistan and noted that India’s extensive expertise in this field would be highly beneficial.
For his part, the AYUSH minister reaffirmed India’s commitment to supporting Afghanistan by assisting in the establishment of a research center and institute in Kabul, developing and implementing academic curricula, and expanding cooperation across various areas related to traditional medicine.
Noor Jalal Jalali, Minister of Public Health of Afghanistan, held a meeting in Kabul with representatives of the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the European Union, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), and other international organizations.
According to the ministry’s statement, representatives of these international organizations discussed the delivery of health and development services, improving the management of aid and resources in the health sector, integrating health facilities and aligning them with the new policy, providing health services in accordance with the Ministry of Public Health’s policy, strengthening the immunization and vaccination sector, delivering services based on priorities, and ensuring sustained coordination.
During the meeting, Jalali stressed the need for transparency and attention to the ministry’s priorities in order to enhance the effectiveness and impact of health services. He added that the delivery of health services must be carried out in line with the ministry’s policy and through better management of existing international assistance.
Referring to vaccination campaigns, he stated that the recent measles and polio vaccination campaign had been implemented very successfully, and emphasized that necessary preparations should be made for upcoming campaigns.
He also provided information regarding the review of the BPHS and EPHS health packages and the establishment of a standardized system through technical committees.
In this meeting, Edwin Ceniza, the WHO Representative for Afghanistan, reaffirmed the organization’s continued cooperation with the Ministry of Public Health and expressed appreciation to the ministry’s leadership for their tireless efforts to improve the health system.
Representatives of these organizations pledged to maintain effective and sustained coordination and to provide their services within the country in accordance with the policies and principles of the Ministry of Public Health.
Abdul Wali Haqqani, Deputy Minister for Health Services at the Ministry of Public Health of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), has departed for Turkey on an official visit accompanied by a high-ranking delegation.
According to a statement released by the Health Ministry on Wednesday, the trip aims to acquire new health-sector expertise, assess Turkish medical and scientific institutions, meet with Turkish health and government officials, and strengthen bilateral cooperation.
During the visit, the delegation is scheduled to meet representatives from both public and private health sectors to support improvements in Afghanistan’s healthcare system and enhance coordination between the two countries, the statement added.
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