DAMMAM: To effectively fight the country's infectious diseases coordinated action is required from the authorities and residents, said Dr. Huda Abdul Raheem Bukhari, Chairperson of the Society for Microorganisms and Infectious Diseases. She said the common infectious diseases in the Kingdom include tuberculosis (TB), Maltese Fever, hepatitis, dengue fever, typhoid and malaria, in addition to some viral and bacterial diseases. Bukhari stressed that more needs to be done to combat dengue fever which is spreading in some areas of the Western Region including Jeddah and Makkah, and is common in the southern and western parts of Jeddah. The elimination of this dangerous disease can only be done with action from all the responsible bodies including the Ministry of Health and municipalities. Residents must do their part by keeping their houses clean and eliminating all the breeding grounds of mosquitoes which transmit the disease. She said the second most common disease in the Kingdom is tuberculosis and pointed out that the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), is working to prevent and eradicate this infectious disease. She said more work needs to be done to realize this important goal, including setting up treatment centers with special specifications, including adequate isolation rooms and medical teams trained in infectious diseases, microorganisms and clinical sciences. Bukhari said one of the important tasks of her organization is to raise awareness of these types of diseases, ensure the proper use of antibiotics and immunization and also educate doctors. A difficulty facing the society is how to inform the public about the resistance of antibiotics to germs and microbes. Resistance to treatment is caused by the overuse or inappropriate use of drugs, unnecessary use in animal feeds or low doses and over-the-counter availability in many countries. She said the efforts of the medical authorities have helped to curb the proliferation of AIDS “Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome”, but that a lot of work is still needed to educate the youth about prevention and the way the disease is spread. “We should break the psychological barrier which cripples the enlightenment process,” she said.The most important part of preventive care in hospitals is application, she said. The society is planning to organize a number of workshops in cities and towns to shed more light on this important issue, she added.
