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Efforts to combat communicable diseases
By Zhang Feng (China Daily)
Updated: 2004-09-14 01:03
Chinese Vice-Premier Wu Yi said Monday that China is willing to strengthen
co-operation with other countries and regions of the Western Pacific in fighting
various diseases including communicable and chronic ones.
Chinese Vice-Premier Wu Yi
(C) gives a speech during the opening ceremony of the 55th session of
the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee for the Western
Pacific in the city of Shanghai September 13, 2004.
[newsphoto] |
Although having achieved a victory in containing SARS and avian influenza in
recent years, the region now faces the increasing burden brought by various
diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and chronic diseases, Wu said.
"The outbreak of new communicable diseases in this region shows that one
vital way to tackle public health accidents is to enhance the international
co-operation and communication in this region," Wu said.
She made the remarks at the opening ceremony of the 55th session of the World
Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee for the Western Pacific Region
including 37 countries and regions, such as China, Viet Nam and Japan.
Wu was echoed by WHO Director-General Lee Jong-Wook who said: "Unity is
indispensable for effective action, and it requires us to work more closely than
ever before with our partners."
As long as the H5N1 virus remains in poultry there can be more human cases,
with a high fatality rate.
This virus, if it adapts to efficient human-to-human transmission, could
cause a global pandemic of influenza in humans, Lee noted.
"Our attention and energy must be focused now on every possibility that might
exist in preventing or containing such a pandemic. The main tasks at present
are: case detection and control in animals, surveillance for human cases,
vaccine development, and research on how this virus evolves," he said.
With 1.5 million people infected with the HIV virus in the region,
accelerated coverage with preventive action and treatment is urgently needed.
Globally, with all sources combined, almost 20 billion US dollars have been
pledged for integrated AIDS prevention and care over the next five years, Lee
said.
Chinese experts estimate that there are 840,000 HIV/AIDS sufferers including
about 80,000 patients in China.
Meanwhile, the control of tuberculosis and hepatitis is not looking good, and
the non-communicable diseases caused by unhealthy lifestyles and tobacco, such
as heart disease, diabetes and cancer, have become the main disease burden in
China and many other countries in the region, Wu noted.
In China, 20 million people suffer from diabetes. The Ministry of Health is
now working closely with WHO to develop a policy framework for responding to
this growing challenge of chronic disease control. This work will be of great
value to China and many other countries, Lee said.
"China is one of the most vigorous and progressive countries in the world.
Its achievements in the field of health make a great difference, not just to
regional but to global health as well," said Shigeru Omi, director of WHO's
Regional Committee for the Western Pacific.
China has good co-operative relations with the regional committee. It has
attended all the meetings since 1973 except 1981. Beijing hosted the 38th annual
session in 1987. Hong Kong and Macao have also hosted the
event.
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