ABU DHABI - School Health Services (SHS), a subsidiary of SEHA Ambulatory Healthcare Services (AHS) has launched an H1N1 awareness campaign at all 303 government schools across the Abu Dhabi emirate.

The initiative, which started at the opening of the new academic year, was done in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Educational Council (ADEC) and the Health Authority-Abu Dhabi (HAAD) to raise awareness among students and community about H1N1 prevention, precautions to safeguard against the flu and caring for H1N1 infected persons.

"People frequenting small or large gatherings such as in buses, schools or any crowded places should follow the basic guidelines and necessary precautions to avoid the spread of this disease," said Dr Hatem El Gusain, manager of the subsidiary. "These include simple and easy steps like washing hands regularly, eating healthy food, consulting a doctor immediately in case of the appearance of any symptoms and taking complete rest until recovery."

More than three million emails were sent, nurses trained and students educated about swine flu. As part of the campaign, nurses at SHS were given specialised courses and workshops, which include definition, characteristics of the virus, symptoms, signs of the disease, mode of transmission, identification of infected cases, severity factors in adults and children, precautions as well as treatment methods.

The students were educated about the definition, symptoms and given advice for protection against H1N1. In addition, brochures, posters and fliers were also distributed to make them aware of the steps and precautions to be followed. Three million e-mailers will also be sent containing all information from the campaign’s print collaterals. "We ensure that this campaign reached out to every member of the community including parents, teachers and, especially, children," said Dr Hatem El Gusain