China Calls for Close Cooperation with ASEAN in Fight against SARS

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, April 30, 2003

China Calls for Close Cooperation with ASEAN in Fight against SARS

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Wen Jiabao at China-ASEAN Meeting on SARS

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Tuesday called for closer coordination and cooperation between China and the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries in fight against the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

Addressing the China-ASEAN leaders' special meeting on SARS, Wen said that all diseases, particularly new infectious diseases of unknown causes, are common enemies to mankind, and that the cross-boundary spread of SARS poses a common challenge to the world and to the region in particular.

To join efforts to fight the disease both at regional and international levels, the Chinese premier recommended that a reporting mechanism be established with respect to epidemic and disease prevention and treatment.

He also suggested that China and the ASEAN countries carry out exchanges of experience and go for cooperated SARS research, accelerate bilateral health cooperation process, coordinate the border exit and entry control measures, and do everything possible to minimize the adverse effect of SARS.

"We should move immediately to establish a China-ASEAN reporting network on SARS situation, treatment and research, timely brief each other on the epidemic situation in accordance with mutually agreed standards, rules and methods, share each other's successful experience and R&D (research and development) achievements in SARS control and step up bilateral communication, consultation and coordination in SARS prevention and treatment," Wen said.

"While suggesting a high level international seminar in May for the two sides to compare notes on this issue, we are ready to playhost to this event," the premier said.

"In the meantime, we suggest that cooperated research and personnel training programs be arranged in such areas as the patterns of SARS transmission, SARS nosogenesis and SARS clinical diagnosis," Wen said.

He said the health cooperation mechanism between China and the ASEAN countries should be established as soon as possible, focusing on SARS prevention and treatment for the time being and holding a meeting at the ministerial level at an appropriate time.

Wen proposed that competent officials in charge of border exit and entry control meet at an early date to coordinate respective national policies and measures so as to alleviate the impact of SARS on normal personnel exchanges between the two sides.

Noting that SARS has brought about a multi-faceted adverse impact on the region's economic and social development, the premier also proposed a China-ASEAN workshop to look into possible counter-measures.

Main Points of Wen's Speech at China-ASEAN Meeting

Stressing that all diseases, particularly new infectious disease of unknown causes, are common enemies of mankind, and that cross-border spread of SARS is a common challenge to the world and to Asia in particular, Wen proposed the following measures of cooperation between China and ASEAN:

-- to establish a reporting mechanism with respect to epidemic and disease prevention and treatment;

-- to carry out exchanges of experience and go for cooperated SARS research;

-- to accelerate the bilateral health cooperation process;

-- to coordinate border exit and entry control measures; and,

-- to do everything possible to minimize the adverse effects of SARS, including the establishment of a China-ASEAN workshop to look into possible counter-measures.

Wen also said that China has taken the following measures to contain the disease:

-- strengthening prevention across the board to contain the spread of the disease, making SARS a statutory epidemic under the country's legislation, and establishing an open and transparent system for epidemic reporting and news release;

-- going all out to treat SARS patients and setting up SARS funds;

--establishing an epidemic contingency mechanism and enhancing the capacity for emergency management. China lost no time in establishing and improving a national public health contingency response mechanism, including a disease monitoring and data collecting and sharing network, and a collaborative network of laboratories;

-- stepping up critical SARS research and exploring effective methods of diagnosis and treatment; and

--enhancing cooperation with the international community and drawing on others' successful experience.

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