40
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 28, 1989
JOINT EFFORTS REQUIRED TO PREVENT AND CONTROL AIDS
* * * *
AND THE THE ACTING
HONG KONG IS AT THE CROSSROAD OF INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL THREAT OF AIDS IN THE TERRITORY IS EVER INCREASING, SECRETARY FOR (WEDNESDAY),
HEALTH AND WELFARE, MR NIGEL SHIPMAN, SAID TODAY
HE WAS ADDRESSING THE OPENING OF THE SEMINAR ON AIDS IN OF SOUTHEAST ASIA AND THE PACIFIC REGION ORGANISED BY THE ASSOCIATION SOUTHEAST ASIAN INSTITUTES OF HIGHER LEARNING AT THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY.
"THE SUCCESS OF OUR EFFORTS TO PREVENT AND CONTROL AIDS BEFORE IT FULLY STRIKES THIS REGION DEPENDS ON OUR PRESENT EFFORTS IN FORMULATING NATIONAL STRATEGIES AND IMPLEMENTING PROGRAMMES, HE SAID.
**
EFFECTIVE
"SUCH EFFORTS WILL REQUIRE THE CO-OPERATION AND SUPPORT OF
COUNTRIES."
ALL
INDIVIDUALS
MR SHIPMAN NOTED THAT GLOBALLY, FIVE TO 10 MILLION HAD BEEN INFECTED WITH HIV AND AT LEAST ONE HALF OF THESE INFECTED
CLINICAL DISEASE PERSONS WERE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP THE
AIDS IN THE
NEXT DECADE.
"MODERN MEDICINE HAS NOT FOUND AN ANSWER TO HALT THE SPREAD THIS DEADLY DISEASE, HE SAID.
OF
"AIDS POSES A SERIOUS THREAT TO THE HEALTH OF ALL NATIONS AND
PROMOTION IN HAS ALREADY SEVERELY DRAINED RESOURCES FOR HEALTH
MANY
COUNTRIES."
MR SHIPMAN POINTED OUT THAT IN ASIA, 369 CASES OF AIDS FAR BEEN REPORTED FROM 24 COUNTRIES, WHICH WAS LESS THAN A QUARTER
TO REPORTED ONE PER CENT OF THE GLOBAL FIGURE OF 151,790 CASES WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION AS AT APRIL 30, 1989.
HAD SO
OF
THE
"ALTHOUGH THE DISEASE IS STILL IN ITS INFANCY IN THIS THE WORLD, THE POTENTIAL FOR RAPID DISSEMINATION EXISTS, AS EVIDENCED BY THE DRAMATIC INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF INFECTED DETECTED IN SOME COUNTRIES IN THIS REGION," HE SAID.
PART OF
HAS BEEN CARRIERS
MR SHIPMAN SAID THE GOVERNMENT HAD BEEN ALERT TO THE POSSIBLE SPREAD OF THE DISEASE AND INITIATED PREVENTIVE MEASURES BEFORE THE FIRST CASE OF AIDS WAS REPORTED IN HONG KONG IN 1985.
"AN EXPERT COMMITTEE ON AIDS WAS ESTABLISHED IN NOVEMBER 1984 TO MONITOR THE SITUATION AND TO PREPARE GUIDELINES AND CONTINGENCY PLANS.
IN 1984 WHILE
A
"A MEDICAL SURVEILLANCE NETWORK WAS SET UP SCIENTIFIC WORKING GROUP WAS FORMED IN APRIL 1985 TO PLAN, IMPLEMENT AND EVALUATE THE SCREENING PROGRAMMES FOR AIDS.
/"TO SAFEGUARD