|
JOINT
STATEMENT
OF THE
SPECIAL ASEAN + 3 HEALTH MINISTERS MEETING ON SEVERE ACUTE RESPIRATORY SYNDROME
(SARS)
“ASEAN IS A SARS FREE REGION”
Siem Reap, Cambodia, 10-11 June 2003
1. The Special ASEAN + 3 Health Ministers Meeting on
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) was convened from 10 to 11 June 2003 in
Siem Reap, Cambodia, to follow-up on the operationalisation of the decisions of
the ASEAN + 3 Ministers of Health Special Meeting on SARS held in Kuala Lumpur
on 26 April 2003, the Special ASEAN Leaders Meeting and the Special ASEAN-China
Leaders Meeting on SARS held in Bangkok on 29 April 2003. The Special ASEAN + 3
Health Ministers Meeting on SARS was preceded by the Special ASEAN + 3 Senior
Health Officials Meeting on SARS held from 8 to 9 June 2003.
2. The Meeting was attended by the Health Ministers or
their Representatives from ASEAN Member Countries, the People’s Republic of
China, Japan and the Republic of Korea. The ASEAN Secretariat and Observers from
Canada, Mongolia and the World Health Organisation (WHO) were also in attendance
(See attached list of ASEAN + 3 Health Ministers or their Representatives).
3.
His Excellency Dr. Hong Sun Huot, Senior Minister
and Minister of Health of Cambodia, in his Opening Remarks, welcomed the ASEAN +
3 Health Ministers to the Meeting and expressed his hope that ASEAN+3
collaboration will be further strengthened and intensified in combating SARS.
Noting that much progress has been made in stopping SARS, H.E. Dr. Hong Sun Huot
emphasized that the SARS threat is not yet over and that ASEAN+3 countries
should use their experience in responding to SARS to strengthen regional
capacity to effectively meet the challenge of the next SARS or the next new and
emerging infectious diseases.
4. Dr. Shigeru Omi, Regional Director of the WHO Western
Pacific Region, in his Keynote Address noted that the SARS situation today is
very different from six weeks ago when the ASEAN Health Ministers met in Kuala
Lumpur on 26 April 2003. Thanks to the commitment of the governments of the
region to fight SARS and the implementation of aggressive and prompt control
measures, the SARS epidemic appears to be under control. The number of new cases
has been dropped very significantly and there is a clear and consistent downward
trend in both cases and deaths. However, as the WHO Director General has pointed
out, this was not the time to sit back. We should use this breathing space to
really build up national disease surveillance and outbreak response systems to
better respond to any disease outbreak in the future.
5. His Excellency Sar Kheng, the Deputy Prime Minister
and co-Minister of Interior of Cambodia, in his Closing Remarks highlighted
Cambodia’s efforts in the fight against SARS. The Deputy Prime Minister noted
the serious impact of SARS on public health, the economy, trade, tourism and
social stability as well as poverty eradication efforts. H.E. Sar Kheng also
emphasized that regional cooperation on SARS control and prevention has helped
Member Countries gain a better understand of the serious threat of SARS. He
therefore stressed the need for strengthening international and regional
solidarity in the face of SARS and future threats.
Update on the SARS Situation
6. Recognizing the challenges posed by the SARS epidemic
and fully aware of its potential impact on the well-being and livelihood of the
people, the health systems and the economy, the Ministers acknowledged the great
efforts, individually and collectively, made by countries with affected areas to
implement effective measures to contain the spread of SARS. The collective
efforts by all ASEAN Countries have borne fruit as evidenced by the last case
being isolated in the region on 11 May 2003 which is 30 days ago. The region is
now free of local transmission and ASEAN is a SARS free region. The Ministers
therefore urged countries which have issued travel advisories to ASEAN countries
to withdraw such advisories.
7. The Ministers congratulated the government of China
for its very strong political commitment in containing SARS and its utmost
efforts to improve the quality and timeliness of surveillance. The Ministers
also added that China can make further improvement in obtaining information such
as: a) the date when cases were isolated; and b) how the patients have become
infected (either through community-based or hospital-based transmission). By
doing so, the Ministers believe that China can make further contributions to the
global containment of SARS.
Update on the Implementation of the Summit
and Ministerial Directives on SARS
8. The Ministers noted the progress made in the
implementation of the directives contained in the Joint Statement of the ASEAN +
3 Ministers of Health Special Meeting on SARS held on 26 April 2003 in Kuala
Lumpur, the Joint Declaration of the Special ASEAN Leaders Meeting on SARS held
on 29 May 2003 in Bangkok, and the Joint Statement of the Special ASEAN-China
Leaders Meeting on SARS also held on 29 April 2003 in Bangkok. Notwithstanding
the progress made in curbing the spread of SARS, the Ministers noted that ASEAN
+ 3 countries need to remain vigilant and committed to ensure that there is no
let us in implementing the preventive and control measures that have been put in
place.
9 The Ministers noted that several important initiatives
have been implemented. Member Countries have established their respective
national multi-sectoral task forces and that the Ministries of Health of Member
Countries have appointed their contact points for the routine exchange of
information on SARS. A “hotline” has been set up among the Health
Ministers and their senior officials to facilitate communication in an
emergency.
10. The Ministers noted with satisfaction that a number of
high-level ASEAN and ASEAN+3 meetings on labour, transport, tourism, information
and health have addressed the SARS issue following the Special ASEAN Leaders
Summit on SARS and the Special ASEAN-China Leaders Meeting on SARS held on 29
April 2003 in Bangkok. The Ministers reaffirmed that a multi-sectoral response
was the only effective way to deal with SARS since its impact went beyond the
health sector. They expressed their commitment to further work with relevant
sectors in continuing efforts to prevent the spread of SARS and other infectious
diseases.
11. The Ministers noted that the ASEAN+3 Labour Ministers
Meeting held on 9 May 2003 in Indonesia had agreed to convene an ASEAN+3 Special
Senior Labour Officials Meeting on SARS in early July 2003 in the Philippines.
The Meeting will address the impact of SARS on labour, employment , human
resources and occupational safety and health, including the role of the social
partners in easing the impact on retrenchments, unemployment and worker
protection.
12. The Ministers noted with appreciation that the
Philippines has successfully organised the “Aviation Forum on the Prevention and
Containment of SARS” from 15 to 16 May 2003 in Clark Special Economic Zone,
Pampanga, Philippines. Forum participants stated their intention to take
measures to prevent and contain the spread of SARS, including standardized
airport procedures for passenger screening.
13. The Ministers also noted with appreciation that China
has completed two activities, namely: the “China-ASEAN Entry-Exit Quarantine
Meeting on SARS” held from 1 to 2 June in Beijing, during which the Entry -
Exit Quarantine Action Plan for Controlling the Spread of SARS by Government of
the People’s Republic of China and ASEAN was adopted, and the “ASEAN, China,
Japan and the ROK (10+3) High-Level Symposium on SARS held from 3 to 4 June in
Beijing.
14. The Ministers recognised the solidarity of ASEAN + 3
and other partners when they cooperatively and successfully worked out the
Resolution on SARS which was adopted by the 56th World Health
Assembly held from 19 to 28 May 2003 in Geneva.
15. The Ministers also noted that Malaysia will host the
WHO Global Conference on SARS from 17 to 18 June 2003 in Kuala Lumpur to review
the epidemiological, clinical management and laboratory findings on SARS, and
discuss global control strategies. The Ministers encouraged ASEAN + 3 countries
to attend the Conference.
16. As for the efforts currently underway to strengthen the
region's capacity to prevent and control SARS and other new and emerging
infectious diseases, the Ministers noted with satisfaction the progress made in
implementing the following:
a. Thailand’s
proposal to organise a consultative meeting to strengthen the capacity of
ASEAN+3 countries in epidemiological surveillance from 24 to 26 June 2003 in
Bangkok;
b. Malaysia’s
work plan on the project proposal to strengthen capacity and quality assurance
of diagnostic laboratories to support infectious disease surveillance in the
ASEAN+3 countries and the convening of its first meeting from 7 to 8 July 2003
in Kuala Lumpur;
c. Indonesia’s
initiative to improve the ASEAN-disease-surveillance.net website and to set up
an ASEAN+3 SARS homepage to disseminate information on SARS epidemiology,
prevention and control, with links to the SARS websites of ASEAN+3 Countries,
the ASEAN Secretariat and WHO. The work plan for strengthening the SARS website
would be prepared by Indonesia and circulated to Member Countries for review by
30 June; and
d. Formulation
of a longer-term ASEAN+3 work plan for strengthening surveillance of new and
emerging diseases. The ASEAN Secretariat will prepare a terms of reference for
the project and circulate it to Member Countries for review by 30 June 2003.
17. The Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to implement
fully the decisions as contained in the Special ASEAN Leaders Meeting on SARS
held on 29 April 2003 in Bangkok and the ASEAN+3 Health Ministers Special
Meeting on SARS held on 26 April 2003 in Kuala Lumpur.
ASEAN+3 Action Plan on Prevention
and Control of SARS and Other Infectious Diseases
21. The Ministers thanked their Senior Health Officials for
preparing the Action Plan and requested them to work with the ASEAN Secretariat
and the WHO to fully operationalise it. They expressed confidence that the
Action Plan would strengthen the region’s efforts not only in the fight against
SARS but also contribute towards building the longer-term capacity of the region
to respond to new and emerging diseases.
22. The Ministers expressed satisfaction with the efforts
made so far and pledged to implement the Action Plan. In this regard, the
Ministers expressed appreciation to Member Countries who, in the spirit of
solidarity, have offered to coordinate and implement priority projects under the
Action Plan on a cost-sharing basis. The Ministers also requested the ASEAN
Dialogue Partners, the WHO and other international and regional organisations to
mobilise financial and human resources and technical support in order to
implement the Action Plan. The Ministers also encouraged Canada and Mongolia to
support and participate in the activities under the Action Plan, as and when
appropriate.
Acknowledgements
List of
Health Ministers or Their Representatives attending
the
Special ASEAN+3 Health Ministers Meeting on
Severe
Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS),
Siem
Reap, 10 – 11 June 2003
1.
Honourable Pehin Dato Abu Bakar Apong
Minister of Health
Brunei Darussalam
2.
H.E. Dr. Hong Sun Huot
Senior Minister and Minister of Health
Cambodia
3.
H.E. Dr.
Huang Jiefu
Vice Minister of Health
People's Republic of China
4.
Prof.
Dr. Umar Fahmi Achmadi, Ph.D
Director General of Communicable Disease Control
and Environmental Health
Ministry of Health
Indonesia
5.
Mr.
Takashi Minagawa
Assistant Director General,
International Affairs Division
Minister's Secretariat
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
Japan
6.
Dr. Dae
Kyu OH
Director General of Health Promotion Bureau
Ministry of Health and Welfare
Republic of Korea
7.
H.E. Dr.
Ponmek Dalaloy
Minister of Health
Lao PDR
8.
H.E.
Dato’ Chua Jui Meng
Minister of Health
Malaysia
9.
H.E. Dr.
Manuel M. Dayrit
Secretary of
Health
Department of Health, Philippines
10.
H.E. Dr.
Balaji Sadasivan
Minister of State for Health and Transport
Singapore
11.
H.E.Mrs.
Sudarat Keyuraphan
Minister of Public Health
Thailand
12.
H.E. Dr.
Tran Chi Liem
Vice Minister of Health
Viet Nam
13.
Dr. Azmi
Mat Akhir
Director of Bureau of Functional Cooperation
ASEAN Secretariat
Observers
13.
Mrs.
Stefanie Beck
Ambassador of Canada in Cambodia
14.
Dr. Ts. Sodnompil, MD, MPH, PhD
State Secretary, Ministry of Health
Mongolia
15.
Dr.
Shigeru Omi
Regional Director of the Western Pacific Regional Office
World Health Organization
|
