Category: Health Protection

Paris – Ma’an – French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal announced that “232 vaccination centers have been opened to deal with the possibility of an outbreak of monkeypox,” and promised to provide 100,000 doses of vaccines to the most affected countries.

“We are ready to face all scenarios and risks. 232 vaccination centers have been opened across the country, and more will be opened,” he wrote on X.

He explained that “at the request of the President of the Republic, France will donate 100,000 doses of the vaccine.”

“These doses will be distributed across the European Union to areas where the virus is spreading strongly,” he added, stressing that these donations would “boost current European efforts by about 50%.”

Source: Maan News Agency

KUWAIT, Kuwait’s Ministry of Health announced on Monday that the World Health Organization (WHO), through its Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office (EMRO), has honored Kuwait for its outstanding achievements in the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) over the past fifty years.

The ministry said in a statement that the recognition highlights Kuwait’s continuous efforts to align with the latest medical developments and recommendations in the field of immunization, aimed at preventing infectious diseases.

Head of the infectious diseases department, Dr. Hamad Bastaki emphasized that this achievement reflects Kuwait’s commitment to advancing public health and ensuring the protection of the community from infectious diseases.

He also noted that the ministry will continue its efforts to improve and develop immunization programs in line with international standards and the latest medical guidelines.

Source: Kuwait News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, Philippines’ health ministry announced on Monday first Mpox (monkey pox) case since World Health Organization declared it a global health emergency. The patient is a 33-year-old male with no travel history.

In a statement, the ministry mentioned that the new case was reported last Sunday, adding that that the last registered case was in December 2023. This new case, mentioned the ministry is the 10th sense July 2022.

All previous cases were quarantined, cared for and recovered, clarified the ministry.

The patient began developing symptoms more than week ago, staring with a fever and then a skin rash over several areas in the body.

The ministry called on all dermatologists and other doctors to log down name and contact information of suspected cases and directing them to the nearest hospital.

When asked about the strain type in a press conference, Ministry Spokesperson Albert Domingo mentioned that they are awaiting lab results for further information.

Last Wednesday, WHO declared monkey p
ox a global health emergency following an outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo that spilled into neighboring countries, causing widespread concern.

Source: Kuwait News Agency

KUWAIT, Kuwait’s medical facilities and disease prevention centers are well prepared to protect public health amid outbreaks of mpox, a viral infection that spreads through close contact, in Africa and beyond, the health ministry said on Sunday.

Healthcare personnel across these facilities are prepared to offer maximum protection depending on how developments unfold, said health ministry undersecretary Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Mutairi during a visit to Kuwait’s Disease Control and Prevention Center.

The center has ratcheted up active surveillance efforts in close rapport with the World Health Organization (WHO) in a bid to monitor the global healthcare situation, according to the ministry’s assistant undersecretary for public health Dr. Al-Munther Al-Hasawi.

WHO last week declared mpox a global healthcare emergency for the second time in as many years after an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has since spread to neighboring countries.

Source : Kuwait News Agency

KUWAIT, Kuwait’s Dasman Diabetes Institute announced on Sunday that Dr. Fawaz Al-Zaid, Senior Scientist and Head of Bioenergetic and Neurometabolism, was selected by as a member by the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) – which consists of 10 members from various countries.

In a statement, the Dasman Diabetes Institute highlighted that Dr. Al-Zaid was the first Kuwaiti to be chosen for this role, a recognition of his significant contributions to diabetes research on a global scale.

The statement added that Dr. Al-Zaid would collaborate with the EASD Board to enhance global awareness of diabetes and metabolic disorder initiatives, as well as foster research communication and cooperation between the EASD Board and governance bodies of national and regional organizations.

The selection of Dr. Al-Zaid for this council underscores Dasman Diabetes Institute’s commitment to conducting advanced and impactful research on diabetes and its complications, following the highest standards to improve p
atient care.

Dr. Al-Zaid expressed his gratitude for being selected for this membership, stating that it provided him with a unique opportunity to contribute to the advancement of diabetes research worldwide.

He also expressed his eagerness to contribute to the association’s mission on a global scale, representing researchers from Kuwait and the GCC region in this critical field.

Dr. Al-Zaid’s work primarily focuses on the interactions between immunity and metabolism and their impact on diabetes development and related complications, as well as the disease’s effects on adipose tissue, the liver, and the nervous system.

The Dasman Diabetes Institute remains dedicated to combating diabetes through advanced scientific research, innovative programs, and comprehensive awareness and training initiatives in Kuwait.

Source : Kuwait News Agency

GAZA, A Palestinian young man was martyred by Israeli settlers who stormed Qalqilya city in the occupied West Bank on Thursday.

The man arrived at Rufaida Hospital in Jit town near Qalqilya with fatal bullet injuries in the chest and he succumbed to the injuries later on, the Palestinian Health Ministry said in a statement.

Some armed settlers attacked the town and fired live ammunition towards citizens, causing critical injuries to some, Palestine Information and News (Wafa) reported.

The settlers set fire to some houses and vehicles in the town, the agency quoted the head of Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission Murad Shtewi.

The incident came in coincidence with the occupation forces’ storming of the town, and preventing civil defense teams from reaching to extinguish the fire.

Source : Kuwait News Agency

KUWAIT, A case of the Monkeypox (Mpox) virus has been reported in Sweden Thursday, only a day after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared its outbreak an international public health emergency.

A person seeking healthcare in Stockholm was diagnosed with the Mpox strain clade I, which is the first case caused by clade I to be diagnosed outside the African continent, said the Public Health Agency of Sweden in a statement.

In this case, a person has been infected during a stay in the part of Africa where there is a major outbreak of Mpox clade I, adding that the patient has received care and rules of conduct, said Chief Epidemiologist Magnus Gisslén in the statement.

Gisslen pointed out that a patient with Mpox being treated in the country does not affect the risk to the general population, a risk the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) currently considers very low, noting that occasional imported cases like this one may continue to occur.

Sweden has a preparedness to diagnose, i
solate, and treat people with Mpox safely, said the statement.

The WHO announced Wednesday that Mpox has become a global health emergency, the highest warning level the UN has ever issued. Mpox is a viral disease that causes painful rashes, enlarged lymph nodes and fever, and is spread via direct contact with infected individuals through touch, sexual intercourse or respiratory secretions.

Source : Kuwait News Agency

GAZA, The number of Palestinians killed since the beginning of the Israeli occupation attacks on Gaza Strip reached over 40,000 with 92,401 others injured.

In a statement on Thursday, Palestinian health authorities said the death toll since the war on Gaza last October, hit 40,005.

They added that the Israeli occupation forces committed three massacres against families in the Strip in the past 24 hours, killing 40 people and injuring 107 others.

Rescue teams are unable to reach other victims trapped under rubble and on the streets, they said.

Source : Kuwait News Agency

Ramallah – Ma’an – The Ministry of Health confirmed that Palestine is free of monkeypox virus, and no cases have been recorded.

The ministry stressed in a statement issued today, Thursday, the readiness of its teams to deal with any emergency in this regard, and that the laboratory materials necessary to conduct the tests are available in the ministry.

She said, “The Ministry of Health teams are following up around the clock on any developments in this regard at the global, regional and neighbouring levels.”

Source: Maan News Agency

BETHLEHEM – Ma’an – Despite its spread in Africa, and its being considered an emergency that requires taking rapid steps to contain it, the monkeypox vaccine will not be available for months in Africa, as there are still many obstacles, including limited vaccine supply, funding, and the spread of other diseases.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention says there have been more than 15,000 suspected cases of monkeypox in Congo this year, with 461 deaths, most of them children.

A vaccine to help contain an outbreak of monkeypox (M.pox) in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighboring countries is unlikely to be available for months, even as the World Health Organization (WHO) considers following the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) in declaring the outbreak a public health emergency.

The Africa CDC, the continent’s top public health agency, declared a continent-wide public health emergency on Tuesday for the first time, and a WHO-led committee will meet on Wedne
sday to determine whether the outbreak poses a global threat.

While experts hope the meetings will lead to stepped-up global action to combat the disease, many obstacles remain, including limited vaccine supply, funding and the outbreak of other diseases.

Jean-Jacques Muyembe Tamfum, head of Congo’s National Institute for Biomedical Research, said it was important to declare an emergency because the disease was spreading, adding that he hoped any declaration would help provide more funding for surveillance and support vaccine access in Congo.

But he acknowledged the road ahead was full of obstacles in a vast country where health facilities and humanitarian funds have been strained by conflict and other outbreaks of diseases such as measles and cholera.

The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said last week it had received $10.4 million in emergency funding from the African Union to tackle monkeypox, and its director general, Jean Kasia, said on Tuesday there was a clear plan to deliver 3 mil
lion doses this year, without elaborating.

But sources involved in planning the Congo vaccination campaign said only 65,000 doses would be available in the short term, and campaigns were unlikely to begin before October at the earliest.

There have been more than 15,000 suspected cases of monkeypox in Congo this year, with 461 deaths, most of them children, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

While usually mild, the viral infection can sometimes be fatal, causing flu-like symptoms and pus-filled blisters.

Source: Maan News Agency

KUWAIT, The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Wednesday that the upsurge of mpox in Africa has become a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), the WHO’s highest level of alert.

The announcement, the second in two years, came after the continued outbreak of mpox from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to neighbors. WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a news conference the emergency committee was held today and told him that the situation constitutes a public health emergency, adding that it would discuss the outbreak of this dangerous mpox strain in Africa.

“It’s clear that a coordinated international response is essential to stop these outbreaks and save lives,” he said.

Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) declared a public health emergency due to the outbreak of mpox in some African countries, calling for an urgent response to curb this outbreak.

Jean Kaseya, Director-General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention
, said this disease threatens security in Africa, urging taking an action.

Source : Kuwait News Agency

KUWAIT, The Health Ministry announced on Wednesday that it was ready to launch in the upcoming weeks the virtual medical office to help provide medical services to Kuwaitis abroad.

In a press release, the ministry affirmed that the step was in line with its policy to further digitize services, revealing that authorizing for this step was granted by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) last Thursday.

The aim is to provide the best of medical services to Kuwaitis abroad, expedite treatment, as well as ease procedures to seek treatment, indicated the ministry, noting that the virtual office would be in contact with embassies and diplomatic missions abroad especially in area out of reach for physical offices.

It went on to say that, the virtual office would be a welcomed edition to health diplomacy, easing communication and contact with international health organizations as well as highlighting local health initiatives to the world.

The ministry affirmed that the step was in line with efforts to lower expenses
on the state general budget.

Source : Kuwait News Agency