Two years of Covid-19 have well prepared the Mena region’s healthcare apparatus to deal with monkeypox, the World Health Organisation said on Thursday.
After the detection of monkeypox infections in two Mena countries — the UAE and Israel — this week, concerns are rising over the spread of the disease in nations where it is not endemic.
Speaking at an event for the organisation’s Eastern Mediterranean region (EMRO) on Thursday, officials reiterated their confidence that thus far, there is no need to panic over the rise in the number of cases.
EMRO director Dr Ahmed El Mandhari said the response to Covid-19 had stood the region in good stead to deal with the latest disease outbreak. He said a “much stronger position” had been created, “which has improved our capacity in the areas of surveillance and laboratory diagnosis, allowing us to more effectively identify and confirm cases before the virus spreads further".
But EMRO did express concerns over researchers’ inability to ascertain the exact cause of the recent apparent increase in human-to-human transmissibility of the virus, which they suspect is the main reason it is spreading quickly to non-endemic countries.
After the discovery of the first cluster of infections this month, researchers studied the genetic material of the virus, the WHO said. They found it was an exact match to samples taken from patients who were infected when the disease was first discovered in humans in 1970, meaning the virus has not mutated.
This is what is particularly confusing to researchers, said Dr Abdinasir Abubakar, a WHO infectious disease prevention specialist who said that more research was needed to explain why the rate of human-to-human infections has risen.
As it stands, the WHO is confident that the recent outbreak can be effectively managed through contact tracing and wide-scale campaigns to educate people on what to do should they get infected. The organisation expressed its confidence that because the disease has a low mortality rate with most infections being mild, it will not become a problem anywhere near as large as Covid-19.
Despite maintaining an optimistic outlook on the disease, Dr El Mandhari stressed the importance of expediently controlling transmission, which he said can be accomplished through rigorous contact tracing.
Though existing vaccines for smallpox have a high degree of efficacy against monkeypox, the WHO said it does not yet recommend that countries launch mass vaccine drives for the illness.
The organisation did recommend, however, that anyone suspected of having the disease should check themselves into hospital as soon as possible.
However, manufacturers are stepping up production of vaccine doses amid requests by several countries for an ample stock of immunisation against the illness.
The monkeypox virus is endemic to central and western Africa, where sporadic infections occur each year, the bulk of which are animal-to-human infections, said Dr Abubakar.
Dr El Mandhari said that health care must remain a priority for world governments, as "monkeypox is a stark reminder that the world will continue to face outbreaks of emerging and re-emerging diseases".
He concluded by stressing the importance of protecting healthcare workers around the world, who will most likely come into more contact with the disease than the average person.
Napoleon
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
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It's Monty Python's Crashing Rocket Circus
To the theme tune of the famous zany British comedy TV show, SpaceX has shown exactly what can go wrong when you try to land a rocket.
The two minute video posted on YouTube is a compilation of crashes and explosion as the company, created by billionaire Elon Musk, refined the technique of reusable space flight.
SpaceX is able to land its rockets on land once they have completed the first stage of their mission, and is able to resuse them multiple times - a first for space flight.
But as the video, How Not to Land an Orbital Rocket Booster, demonstrates, it was a case if you fail, try and try again.
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
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Match info
Australia 580
Pakistan 240 and 335
Result: Australia win by an innings and five runs
Saturday's results
West Ham 2-3 Tottenham
Arsenal 2-2 Southampton
Bournemouth 1-2 Wolves
Brighton 0-2 Leicester City
Crystal Palace 1-2 Liverpool
Everton 0-2 Norwich City
Watford 0-3 Burnley
Manchester City v Chelsea, 9.30pm
UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
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Men:
1. Titus Ekiru(KEN) 2:06:13
2. Alphonce Simbu(TAN) 2:07:50
3. Reuben Kipyego(KEN) 2:08:25
4. Abel Kirui(KEN) 2:08:46
5. Felix Kemutai(KEN) 2:10:48
Women:
1. Judith Korir(KEN) 2:22:30
2. Eunice Chumba(BHR) 2:26:01
3. Immaculate Chemutai(UGA) 2:28:30
4. Abebech Bekele(ETH) 2:29:43
5. Aleksandra Morozova(RUS) 2:33:01
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The years Ramadan fell in May
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Price, base / as tested From Dh173,775 (base model)
Engine 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo, AWD
Power 249hp at 5,500rpm
Torque 365Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Gearbox Nine-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined 7.9L/100km
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Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
