UAE Ministry of Health & Prevention launches World Immunization Week
The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention, in collaboration with Health Authority Abu Dhabi (HAAD) and Dubai Health Authority (DHA), has released the 'World Immunization Week' from April 24 to 30, 2016, in coordination with the World Health Organization under the style 'dam immunization gap: immunization for all in life time.'.
H.E. Dr. Hussein Abdul Rahman Al Rand, Assistant Undersecretary for Health Centers and Clinics, UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention, inaugurated the occasion at the Al Bustan Rotana Hotel in Dubai. Speaking on the event, H.E. specified that the Ministry aims to raise awareness amongst community members about vaccination and immunization of kids against transmittable diseases. He stated that through numerous educational campaigns and events arranged in all medical districts, the event will motivate parents to visit primary healthcare centers in order to preserve their health and safeguard them from getting infectious illness.
The Assistant Undersecretary stated that 'World Immunization Week' remains in line with the Ministry's strategic goal to establish a healthcare system that protects the UAE society from contagious diseases and manage them according to the support effort and update of vaccinations programs according to international standards. The Ministry has actually attained great success in the field by offering the community members with open door to standard vaccines that has a high protection rate of approximately more than 95 percent, driven by the combined efforts at all levels of the ministry and the assistance of the wise leadership.
Dr. Nada Al Marzouqi, Director of Preventative Medicine, UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention, confirmed that the 'World Immunization Week' aims to carry out intensive educational activities and lectures to eliminate the possibility of children capturing severe illness such as mumps, measles and rubella (MMR) by offering them all major vaccines. She stated that not supplying with age appropriate vaccinations keeps the society at risk of infection and conditions. She likewise explained that considering that the start of the National Measles campaign in November 2015, targeting kids from one year of age to 18 years has attained remarkable success.
Dr. Laila Al Jasmi, Head of Vaccination Department, UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention, has actually encouraged parents on the value of taking their kids to primary healthcare centers to give them the basic vaccines according to their age to raise their immunity against infectious conditions. She noted that the Ministry intends to offer all the important vaccines totally free under the National Program on Immunization that is running for years and has considerable success in the elimination of infectious diseases such as polio.
The event was concluded by honoring the strategic and supporting sectors, and the category of technical committees and the central operations room and central supervisors, and members of the Committee of Global Immunization Week.
