SEROLOGICAL AND MOLECULAR SCREENING OF SARS-COV-2: A NATIONWIDE SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM TO MONITOR THE TREND OF COVID-19 INFECTION TRANSMISSION IN KUWAIT

Abstract

In Kuwait, the Ministry of Health (MoH) is the principal healthcare stakeholder and the exclusive regulator of the healthcare system. Established in 1936, the ministry currently employs between 39,000-48,000 people at any given moment. It is in charge of overseeing the delivery of care and services in both public and private health sectors of Kuwait, as well as regulating the acquisition of medical equipment and medicines, the licensing of clinicians and medical practices, and authorization of medicinal products and the supervision of any unintended side effects in the population. The message of the Ministry of Health is a contribution to national development achieved through the health and well-being of those living in the State of Kuwait. The ministry also aims to improve the quality of health services and develop its systems, promote individual and community health, and integrate health information systems. Its mission is to provide the highest possible level of health services. It seeks to reach a more advanced degree of healthcare and achieve its future vision of providing integrated healthcare services of international standards. Under the umbrella of Public Health, the mission of any Communicable Disease Control Division at a Health Ministry should firstly: prioritize working in partnership with the community to promote health and quality of life; secondly: to protect the population from the spread of infectious diseases and minimize the health impact following infectious disease emergencies. Significant components include surveillance, immunization, laboratory testing, education and prevention, and emergency preparedness. In a well-structured public health system, several essential public health services need to be offered to enable optimal health for all. This includes a team of multi-disciplinary practitioners employed full-time at the Department of Public Health, working in unison to enhance and protect the population's health by identifying their health problems and needs, while subsequently providing programs and services to address any gaps identified through a community health impact assessment. That said, core public health strategies, including health assessment and disease surveillance, preventive interventions, health protection, and health promotion must be at the forefront of strategic inventions in the community. An essential public health service that aligns with one of the core functions of public health (assessment) is investigating, diagnosing, and tackling diseases affecting the population. In order to control infection, this service includes the prevention and mitigation of emerging new infectious diseases or health threats through molecular epidemiological identification. A Communicable Disease Control Division at any Health Ministry worldwide must continuously monitor real-time health status and identify patterns to help develop new strategies that target and address recognized diseases endemic to the specific region. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, real-time data is vital to respond to this viral pandemic, including a specialized laboratory for testing and screening. Another essential service that must be readily available and that aligns with a core function of public health (policy development) and fits in the public health system is effective communication to inform and educate the public. These essential public health services mentioned above must be continuously developed and efforts to distribute accessible health information and publicly available resources on COVID-19 must be ongoing. Through social media and other national media outlets, several communication channels effectively reach the general population, including a 24-hour emergency hotline and an interactive mobile app.