Thailand is ready to host the ASEAN+3 Health Ministers' Special Meeting on Influenza A/H1N1 scheduled on May 7-8 as the country will enhance precautious measures.

The urgently-arranged meeting is aimed to slow down the propagation of the new Influenza A/H1N1 epidemic in the region, Dr. Suphan Srithamma, spokesman of Thailand's Ministry of Public Health told a press conference on Wednesday.

According to the spokesman, the meeting will be attended by health ministers and senior officials from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states, China, Japan, South Korea and representatives from international organizations, such as the World Health Organization, the World Bank and UN System Influenza Co-ordination.

The main objective is to assess the latest development of the new strain of influenza in ASEAN countries and improve control and preventive measures while working on new effective control innovation, said Mr Suphan.

A joint statement of ASEAN + 3 health ministers will emerge and strengthen the control the spread of the disease and protect the people in the region.

The control measures should include surveillance system, laboratory examination, stockpiles on anti-viral drugs, research and development on vaccine development and epidemiological information exchange, said Dr. Kamnuan Ungchusak, spokesman of the Department of Disease Control.

Dr. Kamnuan told Xinhua that the Ministry of Public Health will increase precautious measures during the meeting, for example, to detect unusual body heat among outbound passengers and set up hotlines between Thailand and other countries and organizations in a bid to prevent the spread of the new disease.

Since late April, the ministry has installed thermal scanners at many international airports, including Bangkok-based Suvarnabhumi International Airport and ordered the installation of thermal scanners at two southern immigration checkpoints.

Also on the meeting's agenda are a live teleconference with the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the current epidemic updates, vaccine issues and responses in the USA and update on the virus outbreak and responses by the WHO.

The South Korean Health Ministry on Tuesday confirmed a 44-year-old woman as the country's second patient affected by the Influenza A/H1N1, bring the number of infection cases in the Asia-Pacific region to nine.

(Xinhua News Agency May 6, 2009)