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Chinese Cabinet Lays Out Strategy for Bird Flu Prevention and Control

Posted on: Thursday, 3 November 2005, 09:01 CST

Text of report by official Chinese news agency Xinhua (New China News Agency)

Beijing, 2 November: Premier Wen Jiabao chaired a meeting of the Executive of the State Council on 2 November to study and analyse the situation regarding highly infectious avian influenza and to lay out arrangements for further strengthening prevention and control efforts.

The meeting pointed out that the party Central Committee and the State Council put great emphasis on efforts to prevent and control the spread of highly infectious avian influenza, and they have laid out important arrangements in this regard. All areas and all departments are taking active measures, and prevention and control work is proceeding in an orderly and effective way. But we must see the seriousness and urgency of the bird flu epidemic prevention and control situation that we face. We must remain highly vigilant. We absolutely must not let down our guard. Government at all levels must act in the spirit of a high degree of responsibility for the people, and carry out highly infectious avian influenza prevention and control work in a solid way.

The meeting stressed the need to uphold being people-centred, uphold prevention as primary, strictly implement the provisions of the "People's Republic of China Law on Animal Disease Prevention" and the "People's Republic of China Law on Infectious Disease Prevention and Treatment", conscientiously implement the guiding policy of "strengthen leadership, coordinate closely, rely on science, prevent and treat in accordance with the law, mass prevention and mass control, and deal resolutely", take comprehensive measures, and earnestly strengthen prevention and control efforts against highly infectious avian influenza.

1. Step up epidemic monitoring, detect quickly and closely track developments in an epidemic, and conscientiously forecast and warn of epidemics. Establish a strict epidemic reporting system. Make it the case that disease is detected early, reported early, dealt with early and brought under control early. Persons responsible for concealing reports, omitting reports or slow reporting will be dealt with strictly and in accordance with the law.

2. Improve emergency response mechanisms and emergency forecasting of sudden outbreaks of disease. Put every support measure in place. Do not trust in luck, do not leave any dead spaces. Activate emergency advance plans by level at the appropriate time in accordance with developments in the epidemic.

3. Resolutely control and eradicate new outbreaks of disease. As soon as a new outbreak occurs, take resolute measures to slaughter, disinfect and isolate, resolutely eradicate the disease at that point, and strictly stop it from spreading. Conscientiously implement the policy on reasonable compensation and aid for the slaughter of domestic fowl in the disease area and for compulsory vaccination in threatened areas.

4. Strictly prevent the spread of bird flu to people. This must be the focal point of prevention and control work. Perfect emergency advance plans and prevention and treatment plans for cases of bird flu in humans. Do well in medical monitoring and prevention efforts. Strengthen surveillance and control over live bird markets.

5. Continue to step up the vaccination effort. Focus on vaccination work in border areas, in densely cultivated areas and areas with networks of water. Earnestly strengthen vaccination of waterfowl and free-range domestic fowl. Arrange for the production and supply of vaccine, and satisfy the demand for it.

6. Make a focused effort on the science and technology of prevention and control. Focus on the research, development and widespread use of diagnostic reagents, new types of highly effective vaccines, and medicines for treatment.

7. Implement plans to build up the animal disease prevention system, and increase investment in the disease prevention infrastructure. Promote reform of the animal hospital management system. Step up the training of grassroots-level veterinary personnel. Improve the disease prevention work capabilities of the grassroots level.

8. Improve disease prevention conditions among domestic fowl. Promote the transformation in the methods by which domestic fowl are raised. Guide and support standardized rearing, clean rearing and intensive rearing. Promote sustained, healthy development of the household fowl raising industry.

9. Establish an information dissemination mechanism by which to issue prompt, accurate and objective reports on epidemics. Spread knowledge of scientific disease prevention. Strengthen the public's awareness of the need to protect themselves, and their ability to prevent the spread of disease.

10. Participate actively in international cooperation. Report the situation promptly to concerned international organizations and to concerned countries and areas. Step up coordination and technical cooperation.

11. Starting in this year, 2bn renminbi has been allocated in the general readiness funds of the central budget, to set up a Highly Infectious Avian Influenza Prevention and Control Fund.

12. The National Headquarters for the Prevention and Control of Highly Infectious Avian Influenza is to start work immediately, to strengthen the unified leadership of prevention and control efforts.

The meeting stressed that doing well on highly infectious avian influenza prevention and control work affects the health and safety of the masses of the people, and it affects the overall situation of economic development and social stability. Government at all levels must conscientiously implement the decisions and arrangements of the party Central Committee and the State Council, earnestly strengthen leadership of prevention and control work, and implement a prevention and control responsibility system level by level. All parties concerned must strengthen coordination and cooperation, and fight well this campaign to prevent and control an epidemic of highly infectious avian influenza.

Source: BBC Monitoring Asia Pacific

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