The atypical pneumonia outbreak, which has affected parts of south China's Guangdong Province since November 2002 has been brought under effective control, said Chinese Minister of Health Zhang Wenkang.
The minister made the remarks in a meeting with Henk Bekedam, the World Health Organization (WHO) representative to China.
The minister said the Chinese government had attached great importance to the situation, and organized medical institutions and medical specialists to give emergency treatment to patients in time, analyze the cause of the disease and take immediate measures to curb the spread of the disease.
He added that the pneumonia patients had recovered and the daily lives of local residents had returned to normal.
Zhang thanked the WHO for sending experts to China and conducting exchanges and cooperation in the field, hoping that the cooperation should be expanded.
Henk Bekedam briefed the minister on the atypical pneumonia situation in other countries and regions, and highly appreciated the measures taken by the Chinese government.
The WHO representative hoped to strengthen cooperation with China in a bid to improve disease prevention and control.
(People's Daily March 19, 2003)
