Star: KUALA LUMPUR: Concerned with the spread of avian flu, Malaysia wants to set up a regional World Health Organisation (WHO) Collaborating Centre for the disease here, with the support of its Asean counterparts.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said since the existing WHO reference centres for human flu were located outside the Asean region, the one on avian flu should be set up in the region.
He said Malaysia had expressed this intention at the WHO meeting on avian flu in Geneva last month.
“With both alert systems for animal and human flu in one country, it will greatly enhance the early warning mechanism for influenza surveillance in the region.
“It will be Malaysia’s contribution towards global health security,” the Prime Minister said in his opening remarks at the 11th Asean Summit yesterday.
Meanwhile, it is understood that a draft joint declaration by Asean and East Asia Summit (EAS) leaders on avian flu seeks to co-operate in providing rapid, transparent, and accurate risk communication among the participating countries.
It also calls for improving national policies for the prevention and control of emerging infectious diseases and support to all participating nations.
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