03 March 2016 – The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean invited representatives from ministries of health in the Region to 2 rounds of emergency meetings to share information on Zika virus infection and associated conditions and discuss implementation of public health measures to prepare for, and respond to, any possible spread in the Region.
To date, no case of Zika virus infection has been reported from any country in the Region, either through local transmission or importation via travel from a Zika-affected country. However, the Region remains at risk as the Aedes mosquito that transmits the virus to humans is present in at least 8 countries – Djibouti, Egypt, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
The meeting concluded with agreement on a set of recommendations for urgent implementation in order to keep the Region free from the threat of Zika virus infection.