The Ministry of Health (MOH) has launched, today, the new phase of its health awareness campaign on the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) under the theme: “We Can Stop It”. The Ministry aims through this campaign to brief all society members of different categories and segments on the latest developments of the disease and ways of prevention against it via TV, radio and printed mass media, in addition to social networking websites, such as Twitter, Facebook and SMS. This comes as part of an integrated plan to achieve the goal of reaching all society members and briefing them on the updates of the disease.
This new phase includes preparation of a set of harmonious health awareness publication; including brochures identifying the disease and ways of protection against it, as well as posters and rolls-up for use at health facilities and places of mass gathering. The plan targets also advertising and streaming awareness flashes on TV and radio channels, as well as broadcasting health awareness ads in various newspapers, mass media and social networking websites.
It is worth mentioning that this phase comes in continuation of the previous stages of health awareness campaign on MERS-CoV, which included many activities and events, such as holding press conferences for the MOH’s senior officials and the World Health Organization’s (WHO) experts, and conducting interviews on TV and radio channels, as well as releasing press statements regularly.
Over and above, the Ministry, represented by the Command and Control Center (CCC), is harnessing all capabilities and expertise to investigate this disease, and identify ways of its transmission and prevention, as well as offering integrated health care to the infected people. Within the same vein, the Ministry, in collaboration with the WHO, the US-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and a number of international specialist medical centers, seeks to learn more about the disease. Besides, the MOH cooperates with many governmental sectors to promote efforts and achieve the objectives of the campaign.
It should be noted that the campaign is directly supervised by His Excellency the Minister of Health, Mr. Ahmad bin Aqeel Al-Khateeb, as it comes in continuation of the strenuous efforts carried out by the MOH throughout the year to control the virus and protect all society members from infection with it, Allah Willing.