Kuwait To Host Regional Meeting On Animal, Zoonotic Diseases In GCC

(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) KUWAIT, June 12 (KUNA) -- Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) announced Thursday its readiness to host the regional meeting on combating animal and zoonotic diseases in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, scheduled to take place from June 16 to 19.
Regional Coordinator of the meeting at KISR, Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Ateeqi, said in a press statement that the event will be held in collaboration with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, and with the participation of representatives from GCC countries and the Regional Office of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).
Al-Ateeqi noted that the meeting will serve as a vital scientific platform for the exchange of expertise, discussion of diagnostic and surveillance strategies, and review of the latest technologies in combating animal diseases, including nuclear-based diagnostic tools and whole genome sequencing techniques.
He explained that the timing of the meeting comes amid rising health challenges caused by climate and environmental changes, as well as increasing animal density, which calls for coordinated scientific efforts and unified policies to address these challenges proactively and effectively.
The four-day agenda includes scientific sessions and presentations on innovative tools for rapid disease detection, capacity building, and strengthening regional response to zoonotic and transboundary animal diseases.
The meeting will also address priority diseases in the Gulf region, such as Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR), Brucellosis, Rift Valley Fever (RVF), Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV), and Camel Pox, within the framework of the "One Health" approach that integrates efforts across veterinary medicine, public health, and environmental sectors.
Al-Ateeqi stressed that hosting this meeting reflects Kuwaitآ's commitment to advancing regional health security through scientific research and international cooperation, in line with its obligations under global health initiatives.
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