Asean health ministers agree to cooperate in fighting pandemic of flu

The five preventive measures would include an exchange of information concerning the Influenza A outbreak among country members, forming regional mobile units to inspect possible influenza A along the borders, and cooperation in laboratory virus testing.

Witthaya said that passengers who travel from the areas where the H1N1 is detected will be screened to reduce negative impact on trade and economy.

He added that joint research on the influenza A will be carried out in an attempt to develop public health system and to handle with the future outbreak in the region.

Regarding the talk with Japan's senior vice health minister Takao Watanabe, the Thai health minister said that Japan is willing to support and help Asean to tackle with the pandemic of influenza A.

Witthaya said that Japan appreciates and will study the idea of the mobile units of Thai health volunteers launched to detect the patient of the new strain virus in local community.

The Thai health minister added that most of participants feel satisfied with the Asean health ministerial meeting, as well as the security measures during the meeting.

The minister believes that a successful ministerial meeting in Bangkok will assure that other countries will join the Asean meeting with its key extra-regional partners in Phuket in June and improve the image of Thailand which was tarnished by the forced closing of the intended Pattaya summit last month.