Malaysia, Thailand to Establish Standard Procedure in Controlling Avian Flu
Text of report in English by Malaysian news agency Bernama website
[Unattributed report from the "General" page: "Malaysia, Thailand To Draw Up Standard Procedure To Control Avian Flu"]
KUCHING, Sept 28 (Bernama) – Malaysia and Thailand have agreed to draw up a standard operating procedure for more effective surveillance and control of infectious diseases, including avian influenza.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said the collaboration was part of bilateral cooperation between the two countries which shared many challenges, such as potential health threats from the movement of food and goods between southern Thailand and the northern part of Peninsular Malaysia.
“It is important to enhance collaboration between health officials of both countries through information sharing to protect the people on both sides.”
He was speaking to reporters after attending the Fourth Malaysia- Thailand Health Conference, which discussed the Joint Action Plan to implement bilateral cooperation on health matters.
Also present was Thailand’s Public Health Minister Dr Mongkol Na Songkla.
Dr Chua said the Malaysian Food Safety Information System was already in place to enable the ministry to work closely with Customs at the entry points to monitor imported food which be taken for sampling and analysis, to check for any contravention of the food legislation.
On bilateral health tourism efforts, he said, the private sectors of both countries were encouraged to engage in collaborative exchanges and ventures, especially in the fields of wellness and plastic surgery.
“Thailand, which is doing well in the health tourism industry, receives about two million health tourists annually compared with only 300,000 annually in Malaysia at present,” he added.
Given that Malaysia, particularly Kuching, was leading the drive to promote Malaysia as a regional clinical trial hub, he said traditional and complementary medicine were other potential areas of cooperation.
The new Clinical Research Centre (CRC) at the Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) here, the first such facility in the country, is expected to propel the thrust into biotechnology and clinical research upon its completion in two years’ time.
Apart from embarking on joint studies on the burden of diseases and injuries as well as national health accounts, the conference also deliberated on awareness and capacity-building pertaining to intellectual property rights over health products.
Dr Chua said the next joint health conference to be held in Thailand in 2009 would be renamed the First Bilateral Malaysia- Thailand Health Ministers’ Meeting.
Originally published by Bernama website, Kuala Lumpur, in English 0803 28 Sep 07.
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