Teamwork Pivotal To Fight Against Avian Flu

According to this article, China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are working together in the fight against bird flu and other communicable diseases. China and ASEAN are proposing to implement an information exchange and notification mechanism to strengthen cross border coordination, improve capacity building and to facilitate the sharing of information. The proposal was presented at the first China-ASEAN symposium on human infection with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), which was held in Beijing in July 2007.

According to ASEAN Secretary-General Ong Keng Yong, cooperation between China and ASEAN will provide regional cohesion "in the early warning system, rapid response and containment capacity, vaccine strategy, maintaining essential services and multi-sectoral coordination."