Philippine President Calls for Aggressive Anti-SARS Campaign

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Saturday, May 03, 2003

Philippine President Calls for Aggressive Anti-SARS Campaign

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Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Saturday urged local government officials to wage an aggressive information campaign to help assuage public anxiety and fears on the dreaded Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

"As government, let us do our share in obtaining the necessary information on SARS, as well as in coordinating with the international community on holistic and best practices to deal with SARS," Arroyo said at a national conference on SARS in Manila.

The Department of Interior and Local Government has supervision over local government officials on SARS in "the isolation and control of quarantine areas, maintenance of peace and order in local communities, and provision of assistance in the transport of SARS cases or suspects," she said.

The president declared a national anti-SARS consciousness and clean-up week starting Monday to educate the public on the killer disease and its prevention, control and management.

"We are doing everything to overcome the crisis," she said, calling on all citizens to take part in all government programs to fight SARS, which has killed almost 400 people and infected around6,000 others globally, mostly in Asia.

President Arroyo Friday visited a northern village and declared it SARS-free after two weeks of quarantine imposed on the village where two residents died of SARS.

The government has said the country's only other SARS patient has recovered.

Arroyo also announced Friday that all public and private health workers and their dependents will get government medical insurance if they fall ill with SARS.

Last month, Arroyo issued an executive order giving a SARS crisis management committee led by Health Secretary Manuel Dayrit sweeping powers to contain, control, prevent and otherwise restrict the spread of SARS in the country.

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