Asean Plus 3 Discusses Ebola Situation

By Minggu Simon Lhasa BANGKOK, Dec 16 (Bernama) -- The current Ebola outbreak in West Africa is still a deep concern among Asean countries, although the region is far from the infected area. Thailand Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha Monday presides over the opening ceremony of Asean plus three countries (China, Japan and South Korea) to strengthen preparedness and response to Ebola threats and ensure the health security of the people in the region. Though the Asean region is far from the infected area, preparation must be made for all regions across the globe because the world is closely connected by economy, commerce and travel, especially by international transportation, according to a statement on the Thailand Government website. It said the meeting reflected determination and capacity of Asean plus three countries in responding to such pandemic of disease and crisis. Thailand is prepared and ready to exchange experiences in disease prevention and control with other countries. The current Ebola outbreak situation as of Dec 10, includes a total of 17,942 infected patients and 6,388 deaths at the mortality rate of 35 per cent. No infection has been found in the Asean region. Over 100 participants attend the meeting to share experiences, practices and develop concrete collaboration to prepare effective mechanisms for responding to Ebola threats and support global efforts to combat the outbreak of Ebola. -- BERNAMA