No Mpox Cases in Kurdistan Region, Health Minister Confirms
Kurdistan Region's health minister used a press conference Thursday to reassure citizens that no locally transmitted mpox cases have been detected
ERBIL (Kurdsistan24) - The Kurdistan Region has recorded no new confirmed cases of mpox within its borders, the Region's health minister announced Thursday, offering measured reassurance to the public even as authorities warned that seasonal conditions make continued vigilance essential.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Health Minister Saman Barzanji presented a comprehensive update on the state of health services and disease surveillance ahead of the Eid al-Adha holiday, a period during which animal slaughter and large public gatherings typically heighten the risk of zoonotic disease transmission.
Barzanji confirmed that all health institutions across the Kurdistan Region, including outpatient clinics, emergency services, and specialized hospitals covering maternity, pediatrics, oncology, and blood banking, would remain operational around the clock throughout the holiday period.
Emergency response teams under the 122 service have been placed on full alert and are prepared to handle any crisis situation, he said.
To illustrate the continuity of services, Barzanji shared figures from Erbil's maternity and women's hospital covering the preceding 24-hour period.
"In the past day and night, 37 babies were born, there were 49 admissions, and more than 180 outpatient visits," he said. "This demonstrates that services continue without interruption, even during holidays and rest periods."
To date, he said, no confirmed case of local transmission has been recorded anywhere within the Kurdistan Region. The only incident on file involved a single patient who arrived in Sulaimani from another Iraqi city, received treatment, and fully recovered.
Despite that encouraging picture, the minister stopped short of complacency. "Because this is currently the season for the spread of this disease, we anticipate there may be positive cases," he said, adding that surveillance and monitoring teams had been intensified accordingly.
With Eid al-Adha, a holiday that traditionally involves the slaughter of livestock, Barzanji issued a clear set of public health instructions.
He urged citizens to avoid slaughtering animals at home or in unlicensed locations, and to use only official, veterinarian-supervised abattoirs.
He also called on the public to follow personal protective measures when handling meat and animals, and stressed that mpox carries a high fatality rate if not diagnosed and treated promptly.
Barzanji closed his remarks with a tribute to the medical professionals keeping the Region's health system functioning through the holiday.
Doctors, nurses, and health staff who remain away from their families during Eid to serve citizens, he said, deserve to be considered soldiers on an invisible front, managing emergencies with discipline and dedication even as the rest of the Region rests.