Mizzima News

Chiang Mai (Mizzima) - A special regional summit to fight possible swine flu epidemic is being held in Bangkok and is to be attended by senior ASEAN health officials along with those from China, Japan and South Korea.

Dr. Suphan Srithamma, spokesperson of the Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health at a press conference on Wednesday said that representatives from all 13 countries have agreed to participate in the emergency summit on May 7 and 8 to cooperate and work out preventive measures to battle a possible pandemic of the deadly flu in the region.

“The World Health Organization has indicated that the current pandemic of swine flu which started in Mexico and United State is at level 5, and it is possible for it to spread to other parts of the world. It is necessary for member countries of ASEAN to cooperate and assess the situation to prepare and strengthen preventive measures and control the situation in every country,” Dr Srithamma said.

According to WHO, as on May 6, 2009, there are 1,490 swine flu patients in 21 countries. Most are in Mexico and United States where there have been 31 deaths. A patient with possible symptoms has been detected in Hong Kong while there have been two cases in South Korea. There is no death yet in Asia.   

“We have to adopt measures to protect lives of more than 500 million people in the region from this new disease,” the official said.

Apart from senior health officials, representative from international organizations including United Nations related agencies, the World Bank and US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will participate in the meeting.

The main agenda of the meeting is the signing of official agreements on collaboration on H1N1 flu prevention. They include laboratory testing system, antiviral stockpiling, research to develop vaccine and exchanging pandemic information system.            

On Wednesday, Natee Prasitketkit, the Director of Disease Control Department in Maesot district, Tak Province a border town with Myawaddy township in Burma said that the department is coordinating with Burmese health officials in Myawaddy to increase surveillance on suspected victims of the flu, both Burmese and tourists from western countries. Currently the Burmese authorities in Myawaddy have tested 72 foreigners but have not found any case, according to a report in a Thai newspaper Komchadluek.  

Thailand’s Public Health Ministry on Wednesday reported that laboratory results conducted on three patients confirm all are free of the A (H1N1) virus. Two Thai men and a 50-year-old German woman all tested negative.

In addition, pamphlets about influenza A (H1N1) and health instructions have been distributed at all international airports in the country while medicated hand gel, hygiene masks and the antiviral drug Oseltamivir have been sent to Thai embassies in 21 countries where influenza A (H1N1) cases have been reported. The ministry will also introduce measures to screen foreigners travelling to Thailand by train from Malaysia and Singapore.