China on Tuesday called on the international community to cooperate
in eradicating severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).
More than 100 and health officials and experts convened in Beijing
Tuesday to exchange information and seek more regional and
international cooperation in containing SARS.
The meeting, "ASEAN, China, Japan and ROK (10+3) High-level
Symposium on Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome," was a follow-up to
the joint declaration proclaimed at the Special China-ASEAN Leaders
Meeting on SARS on April 29 in Bangkok, Thailand. Chinese
Vice-Premier and Minister of Health Wu Yi attended the opening
ceremony, and met the delegates beforehand.
In
his opening address, Chinese Vice Minister of Health Gao Qiang said
the symposium, initiated by Premier Wen Jiabao at the Bangkok
meeting, was a tangible outcome of the joint declaration and
constituted an important part of the 10+3 efforts against SARS.
Gao said SARS was an unforeseen and serious disaster confronting
all mankind, which had severely threatened the health and safety of
people in Asia and the world at large, and undermined social life
and economic development.
He
outlined China's fight against SARS, and China's anti-SARS
measures: intensifying the organizational efforts of SARS
prevention and treatment, integrating SARS prevention and control
into the legal system, making every effort in medical treatments
and intensifying scientific research.
The situation on the Chinese mainland had been gradually relieved
and the number of SARS cases had been dropping, Gao added.
China's efforts to prevent and treat the epidemic were increasingly
being standardized and carried out in an orderly way, and
significant achievements had been made, said Gao, adding the
country was nevertheless fully aware that the battle was far from
over.
He
said that although the situation was easing there were still
unstable elements to be eliminated. China still had a major task to
prevent a potential resurgence of the disease. "We must maintain
vigilance and continue the prevention and treatment initiatives
unremittingly," he said.
Gao shared with the participants China's five-point anti-SARS
experience, which included mobilizing all forces by the government,
resorting to law, relying on science and technology, depending on
the broad masses of the people, and increasing international
cooperation.
Gao said the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
members, Japan and the ROK were good neighbors, friends and
partners of China and they shared many common interests.
Gao expressed belief that through their concerted efforts in
fighting SARS, the countries would enjoy more profound friendship,
closer cooperation, enhanced consultation and dialogue and better
mechanisms for common development.
Gao said he was convinced that with this symposium, information
sharing would be more effective, researches into SARS diagnostic
reagents, vaccines and therapeutic medicines would be accelerated,
and the regional cooperation mechanism in dealing with public
health emergencies would be boosted.
The theme of the two-day symposium was to exchange information and
experience in SARS prevention and treatment, particularly in issues
like epidemiological investigation, clinical treatment, diagnostic
reagents and pharmaceutical research so as to facilitate
international cooperation.
Delegates from the ASEAN countries, Japan, the Republic of Korea,
the World Health Organization, health officials from Mongolia, the
United States, Britain, France and Canada were present at the
symposium.
The Cameroon and Russian embassies in China also sent
representatives to the meeting.
(Xinhua News Agency June 4, 2003)
