GCC consultative meet to eradicate TB held

MUSCAT: The Sultanate hosted on Tuesday the consultative meeting of the GCC countries to eradicate tuberculosis, in collaboration with the World Health Organization under the auspices of Dr Mohammed bin Saif al Hosni, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Health for Health Affairs, as part of the Sultanate’s initiatives to prepare a comprehensive Gulf strategy to get rid of tuberculosis.

Dr Al Hosni said in a speech that over the past years there have been great successes to reduce the disease of tuberculosis and to reduce the proportion of deaths due to the disease to 50 per cent compared to 1990, “stressing the importance of doing more to reach the desired goal on the eradication of TB once and for all through the concerted efforts and increase of communication and focus on the fitness of expatriate labor examination.

The 2-day meeting aims to develop a common Gulf policy to eliminate TB by 2020, as well as discuss the policies of the GCC states regarding TB infection, such as checking and deportation of expatriate labor, put many of the recommendations that would change the policies that are an impediment towards the eradication of tuberculosis in the GCC countries.

The sessions were attended by Dr Said bin Harib al Lamki, member of the executive body of the GCC Health Council, the representative of the World Health Organization, and representatives of GCC countries.

— ONA