Gastroenteritis in the Maltese Islands

Abstract

The thirty-first World Health Assembly of 1978 urged its member states through its resolution (WHA 31.44) to identify diarrhoeal diseases in the Mediterranean as a major priority area for necessary action. Towards this end a WHO Mediterranean Meeting was convened in Rome in April 1980; besides Malta, eight other Mediterranean countries participated in the meeting, and these were Algeria, Greece, Italy, Morocco, Spain, Tunisia, Turkey and Jugoslavia. The rendezvous was the Istituto Superiore di Sanita in Rome. Malta was represented by Or. P. Cuschieri and Or. A. Mifsud. The main purpose of the meeting was to submit specific recommendations relating to the following: 1. Epidemiological surveillance and exchange of information between National Health authori- ties and WHO. 2. The diagnosis and laboratory identification of pathogens, old and new. 3. Oral rehydration therapy. 4. Support for water and sanitation and related health education programmes.