ASEAN to fight Ebola

Thailand's ministry of public health has organised an international conference here on Ebola-response measures in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region.

The two-day event, which started Sunday, is being held at the Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel in Bangkok, The Nation reported.

Those attending include the public health ministers from Thailand, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, China, Japan and South Korea.

Prime Minister Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha presided over the opening ceremony. World Health Organisation (WHO) director Margaret Chan gave the keynote address via video conference call from the WHO headquarters in Switzerland.

The conference aims to raise awareness about Ebola and establish grounds for the handling of any case of the deadly disease in ASEAN and three member countries.

Topics on the menu to be discussed include prevention measures, the treatment of Ebola patients, laboratory diagnosis, cooperation in terms of medical human resources, and consideration for the possibility of sending aides to nations facing the disease.