Hajj 2022: FCT MPWB trains staff on International Health Travel Regulations

The Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board MPWB, in collaboration with the Department of Public Health in Abuja have conducted a one day training workshop for the staff of the Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board as part of efforts to ensure total compliance to international health travel regulations.

In statement signed by the Board Public Relations Officer, Mohammad Lawal Aliyu, the training Workshop which was organised in Abuja, was aimed at keeping staff of the MPWB abreast to International Travel Health Regulations considering their mandate in coordinating and conducting religious travel to Saudi Arabia.

Declaring the Workshop open, the Director of the FCTA Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Mallam Muhammad Nasiru Danmallam charged the participants to take advantage of the forum to get well acquainted with the health requirement for International Travel and ready to comply with such regulations for the benefit of intending pilgrims in the forthcoming hajj exercise.

The Director expressed the important role the Board plays in assisting the FCT contingents perform their religious obligations to the holy land of Saudi Arabia without hitches as it is the core mandate of the Board.

He called on the participants to be good ambassadors of the administration in its effort to curtail the spread of Covid-19 pandemic and the outbreak of cholera in the territory.

Danmallam said that the Board had championed the vaccination of its intending Pilgrims to Saudi Arabia each year to meet up with the required policies introduced by the visiting country as well as international travel heath regulations.

According to him “Each year the Board in collaboration with the FCTA Public Health Department administers vaccinations against yellow fever, polio, cerebro-spinal meningitis and others to prepare the intending Pilgrims to Saudi Arabia”.

He further disclosed that with the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic, the Board would continue to work hard in ensuring that intending pilgrims get enlightened on the preventive non pharmaceutical measures put in place for the prevention and control of the diseases before and during the entire exercise.

Sensitizing residents on communicable diseases

In his remark, the Director, Public Health Department of the FCTA, Doctor Sadiq Abdurrahaman disclosed that the Administration has mapped out strategies to sensitize its entire work force and residents of the territory about the dreaded diseases and preventives measure against them.

Doctor Sadiq emphasized the need for the residents to adhere to advises by professionals and get vaccinated against all communicable diseases.

He said the Department of Public Health is working hard to ensure that the residents of the FCT are safe against the outbreak of any disease.

Participants at the workshop were exposed to basic fact about International Health Travel requirements and regulations.

Topics on the cause, prevention and control of Yellow Fever and Cerebro-spinal meningitis (CSM) as well as the current Covid-19 pandemic and cholera outbreak were handled by resources persons from the FCT Public Health Department.

Hajj to Saudi Arabia could not hold for 2 years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Emmanuel Ukoh