Chinese premier Wen Jiabao delivered a speech at a China-ASEAN
special meeting on
SARS.
The following are main points of his speech.
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.
(Xinhua News Agency April 30, 2003)