(MENAFN- Gulf Times) More than 120 experts from the Mena region and beyond are taking part in a three-day workshop on the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus (Mers-CoV), to discuss the impact of the disease in the region and ways to counter it.
Speaking at the opening session of the event, titled 'Regional Workshop on Mers-CoV and One Health,' director of Public Health at the Supreme Council of Health (SCH) Sheikh Dr Mohamed bin Hamad al-Thani said through collaboration, the SCH has been successful in bringing about a recognisable scientific breakthrough, with support from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Erasmus Institute of Public Health in the Netherlands.
"We have isolated the virus from camels with their support, but more importantly, we have re-emphasised our faith in 'One Health.' It is good that 'One Health' is praised as a theme for this remarkable technical workshop," he said.
The workshop has been organised by the SCH along with the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the Ministry of Environment (MoE), in collaboration with WHO and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). "The workshop has managed to bring together all veterinary, health and agriculture organisations concerned and renowned professionals in one place for the first time since the emergence of Mers-CoV in 2012. This will allow for a high level of knowledge exchange to advance collective understanding of the virus and its implied challenges for public health," Sheikh Dr Mohamed noted.Nasser Rehani from the FAO said the world has witnessed more than 1,106 CoV cases since 2012. "We need more effective, fruitful and constructive collaborations to face the situation. This workshop aims to look into the matter seriously and will hopefully come up with some suggestions to meet the situation as the summer months can witness more incidence of the disease."
Dr Ghazi Yehia of the OIE highlighted the importance of the workshop, saying Mers-CoV is a serious public health threat to humans and said the longer term solutions depend on a shared commitment to conduct studies related to possible modes of transmission from animals to humans.
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