Chinese Health Minister Briefs SARS Conditions

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, April 04, 2003

Chinese Health Minister Briefs SARS Conditions

Cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) reported on the Chinese mainland reached 1,190 and 46 of the patients died by the end of March. "I say to you here, as Minister of Health, that the epidemic has come under effective control. It is safe to work, tour or live in China," said Health Minister Zhang Wenkang Thursday at a press conference.

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Chinese Health Minister Briefs SARS Conditions

The epidemic of atypical pneumonia known as the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in China has been put under control, health minster Zhang Wenkang said Thursday, adding that it is safe to work, tour and live in China.

At a news conference by the State Council Information Office in Beijing, Zhang said that Chinese people live, work normally; the society is stable and travel safe.

The Ministry of Health reported Thursday data on the geographical distribution of recorded severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) cases in China's mainland.

According to Health Minister Zhang Wenkang, by March 31, a total of 1,190 SARS cases had been reported in inland areas of China, with 1,153 in Guangdong Province. The other regions that reported SARS cases include: Beijing, 12 cases; Guangxi, 11 cases;Hunan, 7; Shanxi, 4; and Sichuan, 3.

Altogether 934 SARS patients had been cured and released from hospital, with 911 in Guangdong, 1 in Beijing, 8 in Guangxi, 7 in Hunan, 4 in Shanxi, and 3 in Sichuan.

Of the 46 deaths from SARS, 40 were in Guangdong, 3 in Beijing,and 3 in Guangxi.

Of the 210 patients still in hospital, six are in serious conditions and the rest are improving.

All the 12 SARS cases in Beijing were imported from other areas.

There is no evidence for saying that severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) cases are spreading in south China's Guangdong Province, said the Chinese Health Minister.

Zhang told the press conference that an expert team of the World Health Organization has arrived in the province for an on-the-spot inspection.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Health, SARS cases reported in the province were 361 in March, down 47.5 percent than that in February.

The cause of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) has not yet been identified, according to Zhang.

It is imperative to find out the exact cause of the epidemic disease, and global efforts should be made to define what it is and where it is distributed, so as to bring it under effective control.

After the outbreak of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), China has cooperated effectively with the World Health Organization (WHO).

Three WHO expert teams were invited to China to discuss etiology, diagnosis and control measures with Chinese experts. WHO gives full recognition to the work done by the Chinese health authorities and experts.

China is willing to integrate its own disease prevention network into the global network of the World Health Organization (WHO), said the Health Minister.

Zhang said at the press conference that China has been cooperating well with WHO, especially in the case of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

Since the end of February and the beginning of March when the two sides began their cooperation in Beijing on the epidemic, the Chinese capital has received three groups of WHO experts, he said.

The health minister added that their first phase of cooperation in Beijing has successfully concluded, and the second phase in Guangdong is still underway.

The Chinese mainland will enhance cooperation with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) to fight the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), said the Health Minister.

Zhang said he had visited Hong Kong and agreed with Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa to further cooperate on epidemiology, clinical treatment and research into SARS.

"We can't say that the Chinese mainland or Hong Kong exported the disease, though SARS cases were detected there," Zhang said, adding that some patients in other countries had visited neither the mainland nor Hong Kong.

In fact, Zhang said, the Health Ministry had briefed Hong Kong health authorities on the experience and measures taken by Guangdong Province, and the Hong Kong authorities had adopted effective measures to counter the disease.

"We believe that Hong Kong could control the spread of SARS and we are discussing the details of cooperation with Hong Kong at working level," Zhang said. "We will further our cooperation under the Basic Law of the Hong Kong SAR."

The central government and the people around the Chinese mainland are very concerned about the health and welfare of the Taiwanese people and are willing to offer as much help as they can, said Zhang.

Zhang said "the Taiwanese people are our blood brothers, and blood is thicker than water."

The mainland is willing to cooperate with relevant international organizations to provide the necessary help for the Taiwanese people, he said.

Zhang said experts from the mainland are also ready to study SARS countermeasures and prevention with Taiwanese counterparts.

The communication channels are open, and it is very convenient to exchange information, he said.

Zhang said the claims by the Taiwan authority that Taiwan cannot get access to information and that the lives of the Taiwanese people are being neglected are unfounded and untrue.

The most important thing is to improve cooperation between the two sides across the Taiwan Straits and to take measures to effectively control the disease, he said.

"We hope that the leaders of the Taiwan authority no longer spread rumors with ulterior motives, or even use the disease as an excuse and in the name of human rights to try to enter the World Health Organization, which is only open to sovereign nations."

"This is very unwise and will not succeed," Zhang said.

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