PESHAWAR: Health authorities have confirmed first case of mpox virus in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, officials said on Friday.
The mpox virus is primarily found in Central and West Africa, where it is transmitted from animals, such as rodents and primates, to humans. Human-to-human transmission can occur through direct contact with body fluids, respiratory droplets or contaminated materials like bedding. The disease is characterized by fever, swollen lymph nodes and a distinctive rash.
The viral infection was detected in a patient in the Mardan district of the northwestern Pakistani province, according to KP Public Health Director Dr. Irshad Roghani. The patient, who returned to Pakistan from a Gulf country last week, has been quarantined at home.
“First case of Monkeypox has been reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that we have confirmed through PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test,” Dr. Roghani told Arab News. “It has been sent to NIH (National Institute of Health) Islamabad for genetic sequencing.”
The provincial health department is ensuring all precautions and preventive measures against the virus, according to the official. Rapid response teams have been constituted who will respond to such cases at the district level and any suspected patient will be isolated and managed further.
Global health officials on Thursday confirmed an infection with a new strain of the mpox virus in Sweden and linked it to a growing outbreak in Africa, the first sign of its spread outside the continent a day after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the disease a global public health emergency.
On Wednesday, the WHO declared the outbreak in Africa a public health emergency of international concern, its highest level of alert, after cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo spread to nearby countries.
There have been 27,000 cases and more than 1,100 deaths, mainly among children, in Congo since the current outbreak began in January 2023.
Health authorities confirm first case of mpox virus in Pakistan’s northwest
https://arab.news/n4qag
Health authorities confirm first case of mpox virus in Pakistan’s northwest
- The viral infection has been detected in the patient on arrival from a Gulf country, official says
- Pakistan puts airports on alert after WHO describes mpox outbreak in Africa as global emergency
OIC states discuss Islamophobia with UN officials, Pakistan envoy stresses solidarity
- OIC Core Group meets UN General Assembly president to discuss commemorations of International Day to Combat Islamophobia
- Pakistan top diplomat at UN says the observance symbolizes global unity against anti-Muslim prejudice and discrimination
ISLAMABAD: A group of Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states on Tuesday discussed the upcoming commemoration of the International Day to Combat Islamophobia with senior United Nations officials, with Pakistan’s envoy describing the observance as a symbol of global solidarity against prejudice, hostility and discrimination directed at Muslims worldwide.
The International Day to Combat Islamophobia is observed annually on March 15, following its designation by the United Nations General Assembly in 2022, aimed at raising awareness of discrimination and violence targeting Muslims and promoting tolerance and inclusion.
Pakistan’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations said representatives of the OIC Core Group on Islamophobia met Annalena Baerbock, President of the General Assembly, along with the UN Special Envoy on Islamophobia and the High Representative of the UN Alliance of Civilizations.
“The International Day holds immense significance for the OIC and symbolizes global solidarity in combating Islamophobia,” Pakistan’s top diplomat at the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, said during the meeting.
The OIC Core Group at the UN is an informal coordination bloc of Muslim countries that works within the United Nations system to align positions, draft statements and lead negotiations on issues of shared concern to OIC member states.
According to the Pakistani mission, the Core Group exchanged views with the General Assembly president on plans to mark the upcoming commemoration and ways to strengthen international engagement around the issue.
Ambassador Iftikhar recalled that the first such observance was held in 2023 under Pakistan’s chairmanship of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers, followed by commemorations in 2024 and 2025.
He also welcomed the contributions of the UN Special Envoy in advancing international efforts to address anti-Muslim prejudice and promote tolerance.
