At a time when the World Health Organization has raised the highest levels of preparedness following the spread of monkeypox in 72 countries, responsible sources in the Ministry of Health reiterated that “the epidemiological situation in Kuwait is safe and reassuring, and coordination is taking place around the clock with regional and global health authorities to monitor developments” on the health level.
The sources indicated that the Ministry of Health has not recorded any infection with this disease in the country until today, after the disease spread to about 72 countries, according to figures from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including the CDC, until the date of the 20th of this month, reports a local Arabic daily.
The sources pointed out that the National Center for the Application of International Health Regulations at the Ministry of Health is working to protect the country from emergency health risks through several axes, most notably: monitoring and follow-up, taking preventive measures, and preparing periodic health reports from the reality of the health field.
Globally, the Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, an Ethiopian public health researcher, and official who has been WHO Director-General since 2017, said in a statement to the media said, the rapid spread of monkeypox is a global health emergency.
The World Health Organization’s description of monkeypox as a “public health emergency of international concern” aims to sound the alarm that a coordinated international response is needed, and could trigger global funding and efforts to cooperate in the exchange of vaccines and treatment.
The sources confirmed that the National Center for the Application of International Health Regulations at the Ministry of Health is working around the clock to protect the country from all emergency health risks, and to contribute to strengthening global health security, by preventing and promptly detecting health risks in order to respond effectively to them, indicating that the center contributes to reporting, evaluation and monitoring. As well as communication and coordination, reporting to the World Health Organization, circulating recommendations and guidelines, and monitoring the global epidemiological situation.
The sources indicated that the ministry adopted last May the technical guidelines for dealing with cases of “monkeypox” infection, and how to treat suspected or confirmed cases, as well as those in contact with them, with the importance of informing the nearest preventive center directly with a notification form of the infectious disease, pointing out to The readiness of the medical and nursing staff to deal with any diseases or epidemics, given the cumulative experience throughout its dealings with the Corona pandemic.
The sources say the ministry stressed the need for the infectious disease control departments to prepare a brief weekly report on the numbers of cases “if detected”, their data, and a brief weekly report on the global epidemiological situation, and send it directly to the Director of the Public Health Department.
The World Health Organization stressed that “the spread of monkeypox remains under control in the world, and its spread can be stopped using available means, except in Europe, where the risks increase,” noting that the disease has spread to 70 countries.
Earlier, members of a team of experts from the World Health Organization were divided over whether the monkeypox outbreak represented a global health emergency.
Monkeypox is a disease caused by a zoonotic viral infection, which means that it can be transmitted from animals to humans, and it can also be transmitted from one person to another.
In most cases, monkeypox symptoms go away on their own within a few weeks, but in some people the infection can lead to medical complications and even death.
Newborns, children, and people with underlying immune deficiencies may be at risk of developing more serious symptoms and death from monkeypox. Complications from monkeypox include secondary skin infections, pneumonia, confusion, and eye problems.
In the past, 1 to 10 percent of people with monkeypox died. It is important to note that death rates may vary in different places due to a number of factors, such as access to health care.
Information about the disease and its symptoms
• The most common symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches and back pain
• This is followed by or accompanied by the appearance of a rash that can last for two to three weeks
• The rash can appear on the face, palms of the hands, soles of the feet, eyes, mouth and throat
• Lesions range from one to thousands, start flat and fill with fluid before crusting, drying and falling off
• People remain contagious until all the lesions have crusted and fallen off and a new layer of skin has formed beneath them
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