Wild Poliovirus Type 1 in Oman: A re-emerging threat that requires urgent, targeted and strategic preparedness

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Dengue Fever: An Emerging Disease in Oman Requiring Urgent Public Health Interventions

Dengue, the most widespread mosquito-borne viral infection in humans, is an emerging public health problem in countries of the Eastern Mediterranean region threatening national, regional, and global health security. The disease is endemic in more than 128 countries in the African, Americas, Eastern Mediterranean, Southeast Asian, and the Western Pacific regions with estimates of 390 million cases representing 17% of the global burden of infectious diseases in 2013

Successes and Challenges of HIV/AIDS Program in Oman: 1984–2015

We sought to provide an epidemiological situation of HIV in Oman and assess the ongoing impact of the program established in 1987 using data collected from national health reports between 1984 and 2015. Since the report of the first AIDS case in Oman in 1984, the numbers have steadily increased. Eighty percent of the cases were reported between 1996 and 2015. By the end of 2015, there were 2879 people known to be living with HIV (PLHIV) giving a prevalence of < 1%. More males were affected than females (p < 0.001); 69.7% of affected males and 73.1% of females were aged 20–49 years. The highest HIV rate was in the Musandam governorate. Most (66.8%) new HIV infections were caused via unprotected sex, 8.3% from mother-to-child, 4.3% by intravenous drug abuse, 3.2% via blood transfusion, and 17.4% by unknown causes. PLHIV on antiretroviral drug therapy (ART) increased 57.0% by the end of 2015 (p < 0.0001). A 23.0% reduction in mortality due to HIV was noted (p < 0.0001). Maternal-to-child transmission per 100000 live births were 11, 9, 17, 10, 6, and 4 from 2009 to 2014, respectively. In 2015, 67.6% of PLHIV knew their HIV status, 65.0% were on ART, and 48.0% achieved virological suppression. There is an urgent need to focus on the quality and coverage of treatment, as well as care and support to HIV patients with special attention to high-risk groups

Monkeypox Outbreak: More queries posed as cases globally soar

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Strategic Approaches Towards Pertussis Control in Oman

Objectives: Pertussis is a highly contagious disease that causes severe and serious symptoms among infants and young children with fatalities observed in early infancy. The disease is milder among adolescents and adults. In this paper, we describe the progress made towards pertussis control in Oman and the challenges ahead to achieve control and maintain it. Methods: Pertussis data were collected between 1981 and 2015 from various sources including Annual Health Reports, annual Ministry of Health progress reports, and Community Health and Diseases Surveillance Newsletter, which provided information for the calculation of different pertussis indicators. Results: Diphtheria-tetanus-whole cell pertussis 3 (DTwP3) vaccination coverage rose from 19% in 1981 to 97% in 1992 and has been at ≥ 97% until 2015. The overall incidence of pertussis dropped dramatically from an average of 771 cases per 100 000 population from 1981 through 1985, to 21 cases per 100 000 population between 2011 and 2015 (p 15 years group. Since 2007, no deaths recorded were attributed to pertussis. Conclusions: Oman has a high coverage of DTP3; however, pertussis control remains a challenge among infants < 12 months old. Therefore, tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccination of pregnant women is likely to be the best strategy for preventing the disease in infants

Screening of suspected cases algorithm, Oman.

<p>Screening of suspected cases algorithm, Oman.</p

Leprosy cases disease description, Oman, 2005–2015.

<p>Leprosy cases disease description, Oman, 2005–2015.</p