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Al-Mane hails the achievements of the National Polio Lab

25 March 2007

The Minister of Health Dr. Hamad Al-Mane hailed the achievements of the National Polio Lab at the Central Lab and Blood Bank in obtaining 100% quality degree in combating polio viruses throughout the years 1999, 2002, and 2004 from the World Health Organization.

Appreciating the great work accomplished by vaccination and immunization teams, he called upon all workers of the health sector, on this occasion, to exert more efforts for achieving more successes.

Dr. Khalid M. Al-Marghalani, the Official Speaker of the Ministry of Health said the MOH labs and blood transfusion services have witnessed great achievements in both equipment improving and performance methods. "Diagnostic analyses are now witnessing shifts from manual handling to using the latest technologies that give dependable results in shorter times.

He said the Saudi National Polio Lab has been approved by the World Health Organization within the network of the national labs approved during the period from January to December 2006.

On the other hand, the WHO Regional Manager for the Middle East Dr. Hussain A. Al-Jazairi praised the success of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in obtaining the polio free certificate. "This achievement would not have been a reality without the great efforts exerted by the officials of the health sector", he said.

He said he has been informed of the last case of poliomyelitis in the Kingdom in October 1995. Vaccination against poliomyelitis has been compulsory in the Kingdom since 1979, thus contributing to gradual increases in the routine coverage rate until it reached 95%. The activities also included execution of national days during the period from 1995 to 2000 in coordination with the GCC countries for vaccinating all children under 5 years. The efforts continued till the Kingdom has been declared as being free of poliomyelitis.