Saturday 27 / July / 2024
Muscat : Here is what is happening across the governorates of the Sultanate of Oman.
Health Department starts comprehensive national survey for vector borne diseases in Muscat Governorate
The comprehensive national survey for vector borne diseases has been launched in Muscat Governorate to protect the health of people from epidemic outbreaks.
The Directorate General of Health Services at Muscat Governorate began the works of the comprehensive national survey for vector borne diseases, that is run by the Ministry of Health represented by the Directorate General of Disease Surveillance and Control. Simultaneously, surveys campaigns carried out by the Directorates General of Health Services across all Governorates started.
The launching event was patronised by H.E. Hilal Al Sarmi, Representative of wilayat of Seeb at Majlis Shura, with the presence number of their Excellencies Walis of the Governorate and MOH senior officials.
The survey aims at promoting and protecting the health of individuals and society from epidemic outbreaks transmitted by disease vectors and creating a database on these vectors and their breeding places to be based on inactivating their surveillance to facilitate evidence-based control operations.
The survey will last for several weeks, focusing on mosquitoes that cause many diseases.Therefore, the specialised technical team will be able to identify all types of vectors in the Sultanate of Oman, their density and geographical distribution, then linking them to geographic information systems. In addition, conducting such surveys allow for scrutinizing the behavior of vectors and their breeding places, and determining the environmental and human factors affecting vectors and their spread.
On the comprehensive national survey for vector borne diseases, Dr. Saif Al Abri, Director General for Disease Surveillance and Control illustrated its importance pointing out that specialized teams have been formed that are tasked with a specified area for investigation including all populated areas in the Sultanate.
The survey is carried out in implementation of the National Strategy for Integrated Management of Disease Vectors that coordinates vector control efforts among relevant public authorities, Al Abri stated.
Dr. Thamra Al Ghafri, Director General of Muscat Health affirmed the importance of community role in achieving successful outcome of the survey as it is expected to cover more that (630,000) residential units throughout Muscat Governorate.
She further stressed the importance of solidarity and communication with the community to provide the necessary support to the field teams and facilitate their work in collecting data and field samples.
The launching included a presentation on the risk of vector-borne diseases, the possible challenges, and the global and local epidemiological situation.
"Adventures of the Hajar Mountains", a photography exhibition being held in Muscat
The exhibition "Adventures of the Hajar Mountains" by the Omani photographer Muna Khalfan Al-Shidhani focuses on the most prominent adventures that can be taken in the Sultanate of Oman, due to the diversity of its terrain and allows adventurers to practice various sports such as: mountain walking, crossing valleys, free climbing, rock climbing, and the use of zip-lining.
The exhibition deals with these adventures in a creative way that highlights the beauty and charm of the natural places in which the Sultanate of Oman abounds, and allows the visitor to live different stories that introduce him to the unique nature.
The exhibition includes 40 artistic photos of mountain walks, valley crossings, rock climbing, and portraits of adventurers, which are the result of 27 adventures that the photographer took in 18 different sites in the Sultanate of Oman.
Through these adventures, the photographer aims to motivate young people to leave the circle of comfort, and to promote adventure tourism by focusing on the most important adventure tourism sites, in addition to highlighting the role of Omani women in the field of adventures and photography.
Photographer Muna Bint Khalfan Al-Shidhani said ": My journey in the world of photography began in 2010, and the beginning was with the Photography Club, where I learned the basics of photography and image processing through the workshops presented in the club."
"I participated in several local and Gulf exhibitions, and received more than 30 acceptances in international competitions for several axes, including: photographing faces, people's lives, monochrome images, abstraction and other topics.Some of my adventure photos were published in many different newspapers and magazines, as well as on social media platforms, including National Geographic Arabia, " Al-Shidhani added.
Muna also said :"In the year 2020, I began to focus on photographing adventures in the Sultanate of Oman to highlight its aesthetics with a distinct artistic nature.In the first years of adventure, I did not carry a professional camera and photography was limited to a mobile phone due to the heavy carrying of the camera over long distances and the difficulty of taking it during trips crossing valleys. After years of practicing adventures and following international channels such as National Geographic Adventures and some professional photographers and specialists in adventure photography, the magic of the image began to overwhelm my mind and at that time I thought of merging the two identities with some adventures and photography."
Al-Shidhani explained that the reason for choosing this hobby is her love for adventures, sports and discovering nature. The exhibition "Adventures of the Hajar Mountains" opens yesterday evening at the "Seef Mall" in Muscat
North Al Sharqiyah Governorate begins comprehensive national survey for vector borne diseases
The team of the comprehensive national survey for vector borne diseases of the Directorate General of Health Services in North Al Sharqiyah Governorate started its field work in a number of sites with the aim of promoting and protecting the health of the individual and society from epidemic diseases transmitted by "vectors".
Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Busaidi, Director-General of the Directorate General of Health Services in North Al Sharqiyah Governorate, said that the specialised health team will give a brief summary of the survey mechanism, and collect the required data in a special electronic form in order to find a database and breeding places for disease vectors.
"The comprehensive national survey for vector borne diseases will include all populated areas in the wilayats of North Al Sharqiyah Governorate, areas frequented by tourists and work areas where human activity."
"The survey will continue for a period of three months in the Governorate. The period of its implementation varies among the governorates of the Sultanate of Oman, according to population density and geographical nature," the Director-General added.
University of Technology and Applied Sciences in Ibra launches initiative for training programmes in community service
The University of Technology and Applied Sciences in Ibra, in North Al Sharqiyah Governorate, launched an initiative of training programs to serve the community in various scientific disciplines that keep pace with technological changes in the fields of engineering and information technology.It will last for a month
Dr. Yousef bin Khamis Al-Mabsali, Chairman of the Industrial Relations and Community Service Committee, and Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs at the University of Technology and Applied Sciences in Ibra, said that the initiative's programs target more than 1,000 participants and participation from public and private sector employees, and students of higher and school education institutions.
Al-Mabsali pointed out that the initiative focuses on programming, cybersecurity, Internet of things, artificial intelligence applications, robotics engineering, and web application development, in addition to a number of training workshops in the field of humanities.
"The initiative was launched in its first phase and focuses on advanced specialised skills in the fields of engineering, information technology, humanities, and English language skills," Al-Mabsali added.
