GCC countries plan to combat the deadly Ebola virus by training health officials and making use of regional facilities to diagnose and treat such diseases, a report said.

“The meeting that took place between GCC health officials in Riyadh on Wednesday came in good time,” Tawfiq Khoja, director-general of the GCC Health Ministers’ Executive Office, was quoted as saying in the Arab News report.

The meeting discussed national, regional and global experiences of the virus and also drew a common strategy to combat the disease, the report said.

“Delegates will make every effort to keep the disease out of the region,” Khoja added.

GCC delegates also agreed to coordinate and exchange information between each other as well as liaise with international organisations, such as the WHO, the Atlanta-based Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Agriculture Organization.