Date: 28 April 2003

Leaders of the ten-country-members of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will meet in Bangkok, Thailand to agree on a plan to curb the spread of the SARS virus which has killed hundreds, affected tourism and economic growth of the region, and will also hold further talks with a senior leader from China where the virus originated and whose government has been facing the crisis in handling the extensive spread.

The Thai government said that ASEAN would hold a two-hour summit on Tuesday 29 before meeting again with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee-Hwa to discuss with them on the strict new measures against the spread of SARS.

The outbreak of SARS has killed 331 worldwide and has already infected more than 5,500 people in nearly 30 countries. Among the countries affected, China and Hong Kong have been the hardest-hit countries while two countries in Southeast Asia, Singapore and Vietnam are also seriously affected.

The ten members of ASEAN are Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Myanmar, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and Brunei. Most countries have suffered from the economic fallout of the outbreak, with the airline, hotel and tourism industries particularly affected.

A key point at the Bangkok meeting will be then finding ways to restore tourist confidence in the region. And, one of the proposals Thailand will take up with its ASEAN colleagues is a suggestion that all members introduce mandatory screening of departing passengers.

Following the recommendation of the WHO, mandatory screening of passengers arriving at the ports or the airports in those affected countries is not sufficient; "exit screening" should be then adopted to prevent the export of SARS cases from the region to other parts.

On the occasion of ASEAN meeting, the WHO will send its executive director for communicable diseases, David Heymann, to brief the ASEAN leaders about the deadly virus.

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