Thai Health Ministry & WHO To Conduct Joint Exercise

[george]

Thai health ministry, WHO to conduct joint exercise

BANGKOK: -- Thailand's public health ministry will hold a two-day surprise 'Public Health Security Exercise' with the UN World Health Organization later this month, according to Dr. Praj Boonyawongvirot, Permanent Secretary for Public Health.

The exact date of launching the exercise as well as locations could not be disclosed because the drill is meant for coping with an emergency situation and simultaneously to test the level of preparedness of Thai health authorities and the Bangkok-based WHO officials.

Dr. Praj said the exercise would be conducted mainly through communication systems and focus on responses and analysing the situation, preparing reports and coordinating participating officials and agencies.

Urging the public not to panic during the drill, Dr. Praj said the code which would be used by the ministry and the WHO would be called "Exercise, Exercise".

Diseases which need to be reported to the WHO within 24 hours include polio, a new strain of influenza and the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) because they are known globally and impact on the economy.

Thanking Thailand for joining the exercise, Dr. Maureen Birmingham, acting chief of the WHO in Thailand, said there were four major questions which needed answers whether the public health was in danger.

Dr. Birmingham said the four questions were whether the disease is dangerous, whether it is a new disease, whether it could be transmitted overseas and whether it could affect economy in ways which could eventually lead to "trade sanctions".

--TNA 2008-06-07