Vice Premier Li Keqiang Friday called for more efforts to prevent and treat infectious diseases in the summer of this year.

Summer is the season when contagious diseases are highly likely to spread, hence to promote the public awareness is meaningful, said Li, during a plenary meeting of the national patriotic health campaign commission.

Li, who is also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, urged health departments to pay close attention to the rural areas, and employ scientific means to prevent and control disease transmission.

Now the priority should be given to the prevention and control of hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD), he said.

He also urged effective ways to curb the HFMD spread and tightened prevention measures in key areas including kindergartens, primary and middle schools.

The information of the disease should be made public in time, said Li, adding that all-out efforts should be made to save severe patients.

(Xinhua News Agency May 10, 2008)