Kuwait made strides in controlling infectious diseases - official

KUWAIT, Jan 16 (KUNA) -- Head of Infectious Diseases' Awareness-Raising Committee at the Ministry of Health Ghaliah Al-Mutairi underlined Kuwait has made inroads in controlling and eradicating most of the infectious diseases such as polio, tetanus and diphtheria, and others.
"Thanks to the execution of an impressive vaccination program and the world communicable (infectious) diseases protocols, and the establishment of special centers to medical checks to incoming expatriates, Kuwait has managed to control many of these diseases," Al-Mutairi, also head of the Media Bureau at the Ministry of Health, told reporters here Friday on the sidelines of the inauguration of the First Kuwait Infectious Diseases Conference.
She stated that the three-day conference and workshop tackles a wide array of key issues relevant to the infectious diseases.
Among the issues to be debated are: the latest in studies and approaches in dealing with hepatitis C and HIV viruses; the management of infection in immuno-compromised patients and healthcare associated infections; and emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, she said.
She added that a workshop would be held in coincidence with the conference on the latest in infection prevention and control precautions and safe work practices.
Meanwhile, Director General of the Executive Office of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Health Ministers' Council, Dr. Tawfiq Khoja, said that the emerging infectious diseases are causing much concern to world countries, especially in the GCC states, due to its threat to the public health.
"It is of great importance to unify and coordinate efforts among GCC countries to prevent, control and eliminate infectious diseases," he stressed at the conference inaugural session.
He noted that the recent period has witnessed the outbreak of a number of deadly infectious diseases such a coronavirus, different strains of bird flu virus and Ebola virus.
Khoja shed lights on the measures taken by the GCC to deal with the spillover of such viruses, especially the most dangerous one (Ebola).
He lauded the high-level of cooperation and coordination among GCC countries in countering such threats to public health. (end) shd.ibi