Morocco earmarks over $100mln to prevent H1N1

Morocco's Communication Ministry announced, Monday, that 850 million Moroccan dirhams (about 102 million dollars) will be earmarked for operations of prevention against H1N1 influenza.

    It said technical means of prevention and treatment, including medicines, face masks and individual protection equipment will be reinforced.

    The ministry assured in a statement that no suspected or confirmed case of this disease has been identified so far in Morocco.

    "No suspected or confirmed case has been identified on the national territory up to now. Vigilance at all borders of the kingdom was reinforced to prevent the virus from entering our country," added the statement released at the end of a meeting chaired by Prime Minister, Abbas El Fassi, to examine the situation of the disease.

    It has been decided that an awareness-raising campaign will be organized by the Health Ministry to sensitize professionals and citizens about the nature and the risks of the disease.

    The statement said all the organisational systems set up in 2005 to address the bird flu have been reactivated.

    A system of traceability of passengers coming from countries affected by the disease was also set up, to ensure the daily follow-up of their health state, it said.

   Some 850 cases of H1N1 were reported across the world, with 22 deaths in Mexico and one in the United States. No death case has been reported in the 19 countries which confirmed cases of the disease, according to the World Health Organisation.

MAP