SE Asia needs disease control cooperation: forum

Delegates at the first Bangladesh, China, India and Myanmar (BCIM) Health and Disease Control Cooperation Forum have called for joint work in limiting the spread of infectious diseases.

With BCIM interacting more and more in trade and other areas, border-crossings need to be mindful of disease transmission, said Win Hlaing, social affairs minister for Mandalay, Myanmar, as the forum opened on Friday in Dehong City, southwest China's Yunnan Province.

Wang Liping, a researcher at China's National Health and Family Planning Commission, said globalization has brought new challenges in controlling infectious diseases, especially those transmitted by animals.

"Departments of health, agriculture and environment need to cooperate to manage poultry and control avian influenza," Wang said, adding that China will work with other countries to solve common problems.

"Naturally, we share more and more common diseases which can spread from one country to another, so we need to work together," said Rakhahari Chatterji, a professor at the Observer Research Foundation in India. Endi