World Health Organization (WHO)'s Executive Director for
Communicable Diseases Dr. David Heymann praised the Hong Kong
government Sunday for its transparent systems and efforts to fight
severe acute respiratory syndrome (
SARS)
epidemic.
He
made the remarks during a slide presentation during a cocktail
reception in Hong Kong, hosted by Secretary for Health, Welfare and
Food of the Hong Kong government E. K. Yeoh. Dr. Heymann, who is
here on a one-day trip, is expected to meet the media at noon on
June 16.
"What Hong Kong has contributed to the global effort, I said, has
been significant. It's been incredibly important. (For the)
reporting (of cases of SARS), Hong Kong has shown the way of open
and transparent reporting despite concerns on the economy.
"The first reported case was on Feb. 19, that led to the
intensified global surveillancing of respiratory diseases. And then
they reported in early March the information we needed to make a
decision on global alert," Heymann said.
He
praised the public health bodies here and the Hong Kong government
again for taking prompt, proactive measures to researchinto both
the virus itself and the causes leading to outbreaks. Healso
highlighted the Hong Kong government's responsible action of
regularly reporting to the WHO the new cases of SARS infections and
deaths.
"Science has been very important here. Coronavirus was first
isolated and identified here. Some of the earliest PCR and antibody
tests were developed here. Environmental factors involvedin
transmission were probably identified correctly - as the
sewagelink. This is very important information.
"Outbreak control prompts reaction once the outbreak has been
identified (including) effective case identification, contact
tracing, case isolation, infection control surveillance and
quarantine.... In patient management, Hong Kong has led the way
inthe control trials of drugs trying to determine what will work
best," Dr. Heymann commented.
Hong Kong' collaboration with scientists in Guangdong province in
joint medical research projects into animal reservoirs has alsobeen
singled out by Dr. Heymann as useful in giving information tothe
WHO.
As
for where Hong Kong can continue contributing to the world's
research into the disease, Dr. Heymann listed three areas which
include: case identification through surveillance, improving
diagnostic tests and its collaboration with the Chinese mainland,
such as, Guangdong province, in animal reservoirs and other risk
factors of transmissions.
"If we don't know this, if the disease does now appear to disappear
from humans, it may come back because of the risks we don't
understand," he said, noting that Hong Kong' continuous cooperation
with the WHO is deemed extremely vital in the organization's global
efforts.
"We need you continuously to be helping us in our global effort,"
he said.
Meanwhile, during the reception, E. K. Yeoh of the Hong Kong
government expressed thanks to the WHO for the valuable advice it
has given to Hong Kong in dealing with the disease.
(Xinhua News Agency June 16, 2003)