Zika virus in Kuwait
Kuwait is a country in Western Asia. Situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, it shares borders with Iraq and Saudi Arabia. As of 2014, Kuwait has a population of 4.2 million people; 1.3 million are Kuwaitis and 2.9 million are expatriates.
Kuwait and other countries in the Middle East are free from Zika virus. On March 12, 2016, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Ala Alwan lauded Kuwait for taking measures to prevent Zika virus. Enhancing monitoring systems for early detection, boosting the role of laboratories and scrutinizing passengers from Latin America where Zika is widely spread are some of the steps taken by Kuwait. Ministry of Health Assistant Undersecretary for Public Health Dr Majda Al-Qattan told a conference that Kuwait had submitted a paper to the last meeting for the Gulf states with the WHO, on the country’s precautionary measures on Zika.
| |||||