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BANGKOK, Oct 16
(Bernama) -- Thai Public Health Minister Mongkol Na Songkhla on Monday
emphasized cooperation between Thailand and Laos in preventing potential bird
flu outbreaks along the border.
Quoting Mongkol, the Thailand news agency (TNA) reported that the two countries,
sharing borders in many provinces, had been working together on public health
cooperation since 1995.
Mongkol made
these remarks after a meeting with Lao Vice Minister of Agriculture and Forestry
Dr Tee Phommasack. |
Dr. Tee led his
team to observe Thailand's bird flu and influenza prevention measures. Laos
reported two bird flu deaths this year.
Thailand has been successful in controlling avian flu as there are rapid
investigation teams in every province and 800,000 public health volunteers
scattered in every village to keep surveillance on any possible bird flu
outbreak.
There has been no report of new bird flu human cases in Thailand for 14 months
while 60 per cent of the 12 countries, where bird flu cases were reported, found
recurrence of the disease. |
Meanwhile,
Director General of the Disease Control Department Dr. Thawat Suntrajarn said
the five-year public health cooperation plan (2007-2011) between Thailand and
Laos focuses on prevention of bird flu, dengue fever, malaria, HIV and
tuberculosis.
Under the plan, rapid mobile units would work along the Thai-Lao border to
monitor these diseases and Thailand would also host a conference to discuss more
cooperation measures within this year.
The conference would be attended by specialists in epidemiology from seven
border provinces of Thailand and seven provinces of Laos.-- BERNAMA |
