ID :
120402
Wed, 05/05/2010 - 14:51
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/120402
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WHO discusses UAE annual report on polio eradication
Abu Dhabi, May 5, 2010 (WAM)- The World Health Organisation Office for the Eastern Mediterranean Region in Cairo will began yesterday reviewing the UAE annual summary report on the eradication of polio disease.
Dr. Mahmood Fikri, executive director for the Health Policies at the Ministry of Health stated that the regional office will convene its meeting with the certification committee from 4-6 May in Cairo, Egypt to discuss the reports of the regional countries to eradicate polio.
The certification committee meetings will be attended by representatives from different regions of the World Health Organisation "WHO" and other referential authorities such as the Centre for Disease Control in Atlanta, as well as other international health organisations.
The UAE is represented by Dr. Mahmood Fikri, Executive Director for Health Policies and Dr. Youssef Abdul Razaq, Chairman of the National Certification Committee.
Dr. Fikri explained that the meeting discussed the reports of countries who submitted their reports to the Eastern Mediterranean Office regarding the elimination of polio and the efforts of each country in terms of their legal registration as polio free countries.
It is worth mentioning to know that most countries in the region completed the eradication of polio according to the instructions of the World Health Organisation "WHO" in terms of following up their internal report and submitting annual reports to be discussed by the World Health Organisation "WHO" experts and members of the certification committee for the purpose of ensuring no polio virus in these countries.
Dr. Fikri indicated that the UAE's report tackles acute paralysis cases that were recorded last year pointing out that around 17 cases in the UAE have been identified by experts from the World Health Organisation "WHO" Polio Technical Committee. The technical committee comprises representatives from different health authorities who examine each acute paralysis case carefully and get subjected to the laboratory tests to ensure these cases carry infections and viruses other than polio.
"The report of the technical committee is an important step to confirm the continuation of the UAE's announcement as a polio free country. Acute paralysis cases are the most important indicators of the non- presence of polio virus in the UAE and all the laboratory test results are diagnosed in referential labs to confirm their type", he said.
With regards to the vaccination programme against polio, the executive director for Health Policies at the Ministry of Health explained that the programme has been modified by adding intramuscular vaccination, which began two years ago instead of oral immunisation. Current studies examine the possibilities of adding other vaccination muscle doses instead of oral immunisation in the countries that have eradicated polio over the past five years.
"The GCC preventive medicine officials agreed to adopt intramuscular vaccination rather than oral immunisation as a common programme in the gulf region", he concluded.
Dr. Mahmood Fikri, executive director for the Health Policies at the Ministry of Health stated that the regional office will convene its meeting with the certification committee from 4-6 May in Cairo, Egypt to discuss the reports of the regional countries to eradicate polio.
The certification committee meetings will be attended by representatives from different regions of the World Health Organisation "WHO" and other referential authorities such as the Centre for Disease Control in Atlanta, as well as other international health organisations.
The UAE is represented by Dr. Mahmood Fikri, Executive Director for Health Policies and Dr. Youssef Abdul Razaq, Chairman of the National Certification Committee.
Dr. Fikri explained that the meeting discussed the reports of countries who submitted their reports to the Eastern Mediterranean Office regarding the elimination of polio and the efforts of each country in terms of their legal registration as polio free countries.
It is worth mentioning to know that most countries in the region completed the eradication of polio according to the instructions of the World Health Organisation "WHO" in terms of following up their internal report and submitting annual reports to be discussed by the World Health Organisation "WHO" experts and members of the certification committee for the purpose of ensuring no polio virus in these countries.
Dr. Fikri indicated that the UAE's report tackles acute paralysis cases that were recorded last year pointing out that around 17 cases in the UAE have been identified by experts from the World Health Organisation "WHO" Polio Technical Committee. The technical committee comprises representatives from different health authorities who examine each acute paralysis case carefully and get subjected to the laboratory tests to ensure these cases carry infections and viruses other than polio.
"The report of the technical committee is an important step to confirm the continuation of the UAE's announcement as a polio free country. Acute paralysis cases are the most important indicators of the non- presence of polio virus in the UAE and all the laboratory test results are diagnosed in referential labs to confirm their type", he said.
With regards to the vaccination programme against polio, the executive director for Health Policies at the Ministry of Health explained that the programme has been modified by adding intramuscular vaccination, which began two years ago instead of oral immunisation. Current studies examine the possibilities of adding other vaccination muscle doses instead of oral immunisation in the countries that have eradicated polio over the past five years.
"The GCC preventive medicine officials agreed to adopt intramuscular vaccination rather than oral immunisation as a common programme in the gulf region", he concluded.
