East Asian countries vowed Friday to coordinate efforts against the SARS outbreak with China pledging transparency as they laid the groundwork for an emergency regional summit on the crisis.Delegates swapped information on measures taken by individual countries to contain Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) ahead of a health ministers' meeting here on Saturday, followed by the summit in Bangkok on Tuesday.
A draft joint statement prepared for the ministers expressed deep concern over the "formidable challenge" posed by SARS and affirmed the region's committment to jointly contain the virus, which has killed 270 people and infected around 5,000 in some 30 countries.
The draft said the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), along with its key partners China, Japan and South Korea, will impose stringent pre-departure screening at airports and seaports, and make it mandatory for travellers to fill in health declaration forms.
They agreed to create a system for exchanging information, block persons with SARS symptoms from travelling, disinfect aircraft and institute in-flight management for suspected cases.
The ministers urged the World Health Organisation (WHO) to review classification of affected countries and expedite the development of test kits and vaccines, according to the draft.
The talks in the Malaysian capital are a prelude to Tuesday's unprecedented special summit in Bangkok of ASEAN and China.
Ren Minhui, deputy director-general of China's health ministry, told reporters his government would report on the "exact situation in China."
Beijing has been criticized for failing to stem the initial outbreak in its territory and inform the world early enough about the threat posed by SARS.
Deputy health minister Huang Jiefu will attend the Saturday talks in Kuala Lumpur while Premier Wen Jiabao will meet his ASEAN counterparts in Bangkok next week.
Canada, the worst-hit country outside Asia, and WHO officials are attending the Kuala Lumpur meeting.
Dr. Mark Salter, the WHO Clinical Management Group coordinator attending the Kuala Lumpur talks, said China has become much more transparent now in reporting SARS cases.
"The figures that we are getting out of China now do seem to be concurring very much with the figures that we are able to obtain through other sources," he said.
"It is taking significant strides forward in trying to keep the SARS cases under control. I'm hopeful the measures they have in place will start bearing fruit very shortly."
Chew Suok Kai, Singapore's deputy director of medical services, said the affected countries aimed to "develop and harmonise mechanisms to control the spread of the disease."
Ismail Merican, deputy director-general of Malaysia's health ministry, said "there is no time now to point fingers" at China.
"Right now, we have to be cohesive. Let's show them that we are fighting this battle together."
Joel Vanderburg, the WHO representative for Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, lauded the decision to hold a meeting dedicated to SARS, which has shaken regional economies and spawned panic in affected communities.
Asked if the meeting should have been held much earlier, he said: "You have to remember that it was only six weeks ago when the first (WHO) announcement really broke out. It is actually considered fairly rapid action, given that we are still learning about the disease."
ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Five of them have recorded SARS deaths - Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines.
