LOC20:49
17:49 GMT
TUNIS, Oct 21 (KUNA) -- Participants in meetings of the World Health Organization's (WHO) Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean discussed Tuesday preparations for health emergencies and treating non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
They were also discussing capabilities of the 22 countries to prepare for disasters amidst spread of viruses like Ebola.
They talked about confronting Ebola virus, and how to help the countries affected by the outbreak.
WHO regional director Dr. Alaauddin Alwan said boosting the public health was very important in order to prevent outbreak of diseases.
They participants also discussed NCDs: heart diseases, diabetes, chronic lung diseases and cancer.
They said NCDs were the cause of 60 percent of total deaths in the Middle East.
Meanwhile, Alwan said he wished to see many countries follow the footsteps of Kuwait in terms of provision of health care.
He said Kuwait has made large strides in health domains, boosting the health systems, completing the fight against NCDs and communicable diseases, and improving health of mothers and children.
Alwan said Kuwait was among the pioneering countries that took precautionary measures against coronavirus and Ebola. (end)
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