European Union (EU) health ministers started an urgent meeting Tuesday afternoon to discuss a response to the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which has already killed more than 370 people globally.
The SARS issue was also discussed earlier in Brussels at a separate meeting between the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, and the World Health Organization (WHO).
Europe has been largely spared by the highly contagious flu-like virus. A total of 33 probable cases have been reported in France, Britain, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Sweden, Poland and Spain.None have died so far.
EU spokesman Thorsten Muench said many member countries have adopted different measures to shut out the virus, complicating efforts at coordinating a EU-wide policy.
The ministers are also expected to debate a proposal to set up an EU center for disease prevention and control -- loosely mirrored on the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Buta planned EU center to address that issue is unlikely to open for another two years.
According to the EU agenda, health ministers from the 15-nationbloc and 10 countries to be new EU members next year will also discuss a controversial item: the proposed Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (FCTC).
The FCTC is aimed at tackling a more deadly epidemic of tobacco-related diseases with a mortality rate of 50 percent, with 550,000EU citizens dying annually, and 5 million people worldwide.
(Xinhua News Agency May 7, 2003)
