The Ministry of Health and Prevention, MOHAP, has launched an awareness campaign on seasonal flu which will run until 8th December 2017.

The campaign targets healthcare professionals in the ministry and the private sector in the Northern Emirates. It includes lectures and training on updated clinical information of the influenza virus, highlighting its risks, and ensuring the importance and effectiveness of the available vaccine.

During the campaign’s launch, Dr. Hussein Abdel-Rahman Al Rand, Assistant Under-Secretary for Health Clinics and Centres Sector at ministry, said that the initiative is in line with the ministry’s strategy to protect the community from communicable diseases and provide universal health coverage and develop the skills of healthcare workers according to the latest international guidelines and increase their knowledge with the most recent information of the disease, including symptoms, transmission, detection methods, treatment, reporting and preventive steps.

He added that raising awareness will enable the community to be conscious about the latest updates on diseases and preventative methods. The ministry will enhance awareness among the public as part of its education initiative in cooperation with the preventive medicine centres in medical districts, he continued.

Dr. Nada Al-Marzouqi, Director of Preventive Medicine Department at the ministry, said that the launch of the campaign coincided with the start of the flu season and will help raise awareness about the available vaccine.