The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are effectively tackling the spread of swine flu disease and the situation is “not worrying,” a senior official said Sunday. Dr. Tawfiq Khojah, Director General of the Executive Board the GCC State's Health Ministers Council, assured that the disease is being closely monitored internationally and all preventive measures are being implemented in right earnest. He said the executive board has started implementing the GCC awareness plan on non-contagious diseases – heart diseases, diabetes and cancer – which calls on families to change unhealthy eating habits and behaviors to curb those illnesses. He said the Saudi Ministry of Health has taken preventive measures to deal with those arriving from abroad. The measures include medical examinations at airports and crossing points and isolation of suspected cases. It has also made available large quantities of the vaccine, he said, adding that plans by GCC states to deal with the disease are constantly updated. Besides the government, he said, it is also the responsibility of the citizens and residents to be aware of the disease and its transmission and means to protect themselves. Although GCC health ministries have exerted huge efforts to spread awareness about the disease, he said, people must take preventive measures seriously and not neglect any symptoms to avoid the situation getting deteriorated.
