 |
|
| World medical scientists look for SARS's cause |
| CCTV.COM 2003-04-07 17:04:17 |
|
Today is World Health Day. The deadly SARS epidemic is continuing to cause concern around the world. But there's optimism in Beijing, where Chinese health officials and experts from the World Health Organization say the occurrence of new cases is on the decline and that medical experts around the world are working around the clock towards finding the causes of the disease.
At a gathering in Beijing to mark the World Health Day, Chinese health officials said new cases of SARS in the country are shrinking. Most cases have occurred in Guangdong Province, in southern China. The situation there is improving, with the number of recoveries substantially increased, thanks to the joint efforts of Chinese and foreign medical experts.
"SARS is still a difficult issue. Its causes still haven't been identified, despite the joint efforts of scientists around the world. The Chinese government attaches a great deal of importance to studying the disease. We've also been working with WHO experts to conquer the epidemic to prevent more people from suffering," said Wang Longde, Chinese vice minister of Health.
Officials from the World Health Organization echoed that remark, and expressed satisfaction with the cooperation they've received from China's health departments.
"At this moment, there's a team in Guangdong. The reports I'm getting from them are very positive. The cooperation with the authorities has been very good. I think there's a lot of information in Guangdong that the world can benefit from," said Henk Bekedam, WHO representative in China.
WHO officials have admitted the difficulty in pinpointing the causes of SARS. So they're heartened that scientists around the world are pushing ahead with coordinated efforts.
"China has also joined the global network laboratory of experts. So scientists over there are working on a daily basis, talking to each other and trying to understand what's happening. They're sharing samples from patients. Laboratories all over the world are trying to find the cause of the disease," said Henk Bekedam.
The WHO expert group is expected to wrap up its tour in Guangdong and get back to Beijing on Tuesday. They're to give a briefing on their findings on Wednesday.
|
|
Editor: Han Ling CCTV.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
