There has been an unprecedented demand in the UAE for sanitizers and disinfectants to safeguard from H1N1 as people believe that is the most effective way to avoid catching the virus, according to a leading pharmacy group in the UAE.

BinSina Pharmacy, which handles five million customers a year through its 30 outlets all over the UAE, has reported an increase in sales of the sanitary disinfection products and face and hand sanitizers.

The group said there was a huge demand for its medical masks mainly from children at schools. This increase is mainly due to public awareness being created on the ways to protect oneself from the virus, said Ayman Hanbali, marketing manager at BinSina Pharmacy.

The Ministry of Health has run an awareness campaign in public places, including shopping malls, highlighting the importance of sterilizing hands after touching items which could be used before by a virus holder, which is the most common way of spreading the virus.

The Ministry of Health targeted all social classes and student communities, teachers and supervisors at schools from nursery into universities as well as labourers.

Hanbali said that the pharmacy started to place new orders for such products to cater to the increasing demand and to prevent any shortfall.

“Customers who are starting to buy these products firmly believe that they hold the key to prevent catching the virus. It is also the result of the extensive community outreach campaigns done by the Ministry of Health in public places,” he noted.

Hanbali said, 'Preventive measures were the key, and washing one’s hands with soap and using sanitizing products that does not need water shouldn’t be something only to combat H1N1, but a day to day habit as there are lots of viruses that get transferred through people.'

World Health Organization said that transmission of such diseases was the quickest in these days as the world has become a small village. Health experts recommend the usage of sterilizers where it doesn’t need washing with water and it is an alternative to water and soap to kill bacteria and viruses.-TradeArabia News Service