East Asia Summit leaders pledge to enhance coop in bird flu fight (Xinhua) Updated: 2005-12-14 16:15
Leaders of 16 countries attending the first East Asia Summit in Kuala
Lumpur Wednesday pledged to join forces in fighting against bird flu.
A joint declaration signed by the leaders said they will make great efforts
to "enhance national, regional and international capacities" to prevent bird flu
from transforming into a human pandemic.
The leaders also decided to improve their "national policies for prevention
and control of emerging infectious diseases in general, " the declaration said.
They agreed to work together to set up a network of stockpile of antiviral
drugs with the technical support of the World Health organization and other
regional and international bodies.
The leaders vowed to make every effort to control and eradicate bird flu in
domestic poultry, and take effective measures to " ensure rapid, transparent and
accurate risk communications" among the participating countries.
The first East Asia Summit was attended by the 10 member ASEAN ( Association
of Southeast Asia Nations) and China, South Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand
and India.
ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the
Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
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