Kuwaiti health ministry reports positive swine flu cases

A number of positive swine flu cases were reported by a Health Ministry official here on Monday.These cases are receiving treatment "according to preventative and precautionary programmes," Assistant Undersecretary for General Healthcare Qais Al-Dowairi told reporters on the fringes of a workshop for non-communicable disease surveyors.Swine flu infection is usually simple, but can sometimes get complicated due to the existence of a concomitant, or secondary, illness, he suggested. It is flu season, and it is quite common that the cases have been detected, he said, adding that the cases will be dealt with in an "utterly professional manner." The workshop is being held in preparation for surveys that will be taking place according to the directions of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Political Declaration of the High-level Meeting of the UN General Assembly on the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases.Non-communicable diseases have become more common globally due to the abundance of certain habits and behavior patterns like obesity, smoking and high blood pressure and cholesterol, he explained.Around 60 percent of deaths as a result of these diseases are due to the aforementioned habits. The local surveys will focus on specific age groups ranging from 18 to 65. These people will be handed comprehensive questionnaires in order to take a closer look at their social habits, including negative habits such as smoking, unhealthy diets and irregular behaviour patterns.These questionnaires will be accompanied by blood tests revealing blood sugar, saturated fat and cholesterol levels.The surveys could take from three to six months, and will reveal an accurate picture of the level of spread of threatening factors amongst all age groups in the country, he concluded.