‘Avoid going to nations with active Zika virus’ – ‘Safe to eat chocolate products’

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KUWAIT CITY, Feb 29, (Agencies): Results yielded by meetings of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) health officials are pivotal to joint programs aiming to stifle the spread of contagious diseases, Assistant Undersecretary of Public Health Dr Majda Al-Qattan said on Monday. Speaking at a GCC meeting of health officials over the issue of contagious diseases, Al-Qattan underscored the importance of these meetings, saying that they are supported by GCC health ministries.

The spread of contagious diseases behooves GCC health bodies to coordinate their efforts through the exchange of information, Al-Qattan noted. It is also imperative to keep abreast of the latest facts provided by the World Health Organization (WHO), she added.

The fourth planned Gulf seminar on vaccination is in the works, a move designed to facilitate the implementation of a unified GCC vaccination program, Al-Qattan said. Moreover, amongst the issues to be discussed during the meeting are a planned study aimed at eradicating the diseases of measles and tuberculosis.

The latest developments on Corona virus and plans to finalize a unified GCC vaccination program will also be discussed, Al-Qattan said. The Ministry of Health (MoH) has implemented WHO suggestions of preventing the spread of Zika virus, the Assistant Undersecretary of Public Health said, adding that there have not been any Zika virus cases registered in the GCC.

Combat
Chief of the Epidemic unit at the MoH Dr Masab Al-Salah said that the meetings are also expected to produce concerted efforts to combat Zika virus, urging GCC citizens not to travel to nations with active Zika virus transmission. Immunization against various waterborne diseases and Rotavirus could be available in the year 2017, Al-Salah noted.

Meanwhile, Kuwait Municipality has affirmed the safety of chocolate products — Mars and Snickers — in Kuwait asserting the manufacturers of these products strictly adhere to health standards. In a press statement, the Municipality said the Food Safety Committee in the Services Affairs Sector, in collaboration with the distributors of Mars in Kuwait, have conducted intensive inquiry and the outcome confirmed that the chocolate products suspected of containing harmful substance have not entered the Kuwaiti market.

Municipality Director General Ahmad Al-Manfouhi asserted, “In line with our commitment to protect the health of consumers in Kuwait, the Municipality, together with the distributors of the product, conducted comprehensive and thorough inquiry to determine if the products in question entered the Kuwaiti market and all points of sale.” According to Al-Manfouhi, the chocolate products recently recalled by the chocolate giant company Mars did not enter the Kuwait market, so the chocolate lovers should be reassured that the types of Mars chocolates in Kuwait are safe.

Earlier this month, Mars-GCC, which operates in the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar, said it decided to undertake precautionary recall of a selection of Snickers (miniatures), Mars (minis and miniatures) and ‘Best of Our Minis’ products manufacture in The Netherlands after finding a piece of red plastic in one of Snickers bar purchased in Germany.

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