UAE Health Minister sets up committees to tackle swine-flu threat

Dubai: Humaid Mohammad Obaid Al Qutami, Health Minister, issued ministerial decisions setting up two committees to encounter any threat of swine flu.

"The Technical Health Committee on Combating Swine Flue" will be tasked with developing health plans and policies, precautions and preventive procedures to combat swine flu in accordance with the communicable diseases law.

It will also be tasked with coordinating with the World Health Organization (WHO) and other relevant regional and international organizations, following up on inventories of relevant medicines and anti-virus vaccines and developing plans for observing the country's ports of entry to detect any suspected cases.

The technical committee, chaired by Dr Ali Ahmad Bin Shoukr, Director General of the Ministry of Health, will comprise representatives from the Ministry of Health and local health departments in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

The Supervisory Committee on Combating Swine Flue, chaired by the Minister of Health, will comprise representatives from the Ministry of Health, the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi, the Department of Health-Abu Dhabi, Ministry of Water and Environment, Dubai Department of Health and Medical Services.

The Supervisory Committee will be tasked with preparing proposals and recommendations for the national strategy to combat swine fl, following up on the implementation of plans to observe ports of entry as well as coordinating with WHO and other international and regional relevant organizations.

The Supervisory Committee will submit follow-up reports to the General Authority for Crisis and Emergency Management. It will also update the Cabinet on nation-wide preventive measures.