Abu Dhabi, June 23, 2022 (WAM)-The Abu Dhabi Public Health Center recently held a two-week workshop to inform staff of the regional National Influenza Center to sequence the virus responsible for SARS-CoV-2. Trained in analysis. COVID-19.
The event was held at Sheikh Harifa Medical City (SKMC), part of the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA), in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), Ministry of Health (MoH) and the Abu Dhabi Public. .. Health Center (ADPHC) and WHO Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office (EMRO). Medical staff from Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Libya and Sudan participated.
At the workshop, Dr. Francis Selvaraj, Senior Research Scientist at SKMC, and Dr. Antoine Aboufayad and Dr. Rabeh Elshesheny at WHO will discuss approved protocols for sequencing SARS-CoV-2 to identify and identify viral strains. Trained participants. New mutations and new strains.
Since the beginning of 2021, the Ministry of Health and ADPHC have been working on a genome surveillance project in collaboration with the SKMC Surveillance Institute, which functions as the UAE’s National Influenza Center. This project, in collaboration with WHO, monitors SARS-CoV-2 circulating strains in the United Arab Emirates, but lacks the necessary testing capabilities.
Dr. Farida Alhosani, Executive Director of Infectious Diseases and Official Spokesperson of the UAE Health Sector, said: A tool for understanding the diagnosis of COVID-19 and the spread and management of new mutant strains. In the long run, this will allow public health authorities to improve the accuracy, effectiveness and efficiency of public health decision-making responses. ”
“The workshop was a joint success. Thanks to all the participants who participated. We continue to work manually to combat the pandemic,” she added.
Dr. Stephen Weber, Medical Director of the Institute for Infectious Disease Reference, said: skill. ”
Dr. Selvalazi said the workshop would take an important step towards understanding the virus and help make local public health decisions. “This event was a great success and a team effort. Thank you to everyone who participated.”
“The main purpose of the workshop is how SARS-CoV-2 spreads, infects and emerges,” said Dr. Amalbarakat, technical officer of the WHO EMRO Infection Hazard Control Unit Health Emergency Program. It’s about understanding what to identify. “The chance to fight the spread and emergence of new strains is to understand the strains that exist between us. ”
The workshop was hosted by Dr. Barakat. Dr. Stephen Weber, Consultant Microbiologist; SKMC Project Coordinator Sahar Ahmed Almarzooqi.
