The Saudi Public Health Authority "Weqaya" confirmed that no cases of "monkeypox - variant one" have been detected in the kingdom to date, following the World Health Organization's declaration of a global health emergency due to the outbreak of the variant one of the virus.
"Weqaya" stated in a statement that the health system in the kingdom is strong and effective, enabling it to confront various health risks.
Additionally, they indicated that the kingdom has implemented comprehensive preventive measures to enhance monitoring and curb the spread of the virus, ensuring the health and safety of both citizens and residents.
"Weqaya" pointed out that there are many preventive measures, awareness plans, epidemiological investigation procedures, and responses to communicable diseases of an epidemic nature that ensure readiness against the potential spread of infectious diseases.
The public health authority emphasized the importance of obtaining information from official sources and not succumbing to rumors or unreliable sources. They stressed the need to adhere to healthy behaviors and cautioned against traveling to countries where outbreaks or spread of monkeypox have been observed.
On Wednesday, the World Health Organization announced the monkeypox outbreak in Congo and other parts of Africa as a global health emergency, confirming cases among children and adults in more than 12 countries, along with the emergence of a new strain of the virus.
The African Union's health agency revealed on Saturday that a total of 18,737 suspected or confirmed monkeypox cases have been recorded since the beginning of the year in Africa, including 1,200 cases in a single week.
The report from the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicated that many variants of the virus have been identified, with 3,101 confirmed cases, 15,636 suspected cases, and 541 reported deaths in 12 countries on the continent.
