May 9, 2003	Friday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 6, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, May 8: Health authorities should address various fatal diseases with as much attention as is being accorded to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

This was the general view of the participants of a seminar on ‘Serious Health Hazards’ organized at a local hotel on Thursday. The aim of the seminar was to create awareness among the general public on serious health hazards like SARS, AIDS, hepatitis, cancer, tuberculosis, smoking, malaria and drug and pesticide residues.

Senate chairman Mohammadmian Soomro said with every passing day, the misery of mankind was increasing as modern lifestyle was giving rise to a number of diseases which had never been heard before.

Mr Soomro said in Pakistan, there was an increasing number of AIDS, cancer and hepatitis patients, and millions of people, regardless of age and sex, had been caught in the bad habit of smoking. Unfortunately, Pakistan still has millions of patients of malaria and TB, though these had been wiped out from the modern world years ago.

Fortunately, no patient of SARS has yet been reported in our country, but we must be fully aware of the danger of the disease and educate our people about the same, he said.

Dr Shahbaz A. Kureshi was of the view that multi-pronged efforts through increased surveillance diagnostic and public responsiveness was needed so that outbreaks like SARS could be countered quickly.

Though there is no identified case of SARS in Pakistan, the alarming pace at which it is engulfing the entire globe necessitates that our health-care providers be made fully aware of the threats of SARS and the preventive measures, he added.

Rauf Khalid, chairman quality control, said Pakistan was part of a global village now, where distances were dwindling thus bringing greater opportunities. But, at the same time this was also accelerating the spread of diseases from one region to the other, he added.

The executive director of National Institute of Health (NIH), Dr Athar Saeed Dil, told the audience about different steps and guidelines developed by the NIH.

These guidelines have been provided to all the airports, provincial health departments and health providers.

He said Sost border between China and Pakistan would remain closed for a month while steps had also been taken at the Wagah border between India and Pakistan.

He said all incoming passengers had been asked through warnings not to hide SARS-like symptoms. Warning fliers have also been placed at all the airports suggesting passengers proceedings to China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and other SARS- affected countries to postpone travelling and if unavoidable, not to go to crowded places, cinemas, shopping malls and those hospitals where SARS patients were admitted. He said a special cell had been set up in the NIH.

Restaurants of the airport have been briefed regarding general hygiene and asked to adopt safety measures in case of contact with suspected SARS patient. They have also been told to display safety instructions. The airport authorities have been directed to fumigate the aircraft if any suspected case is detected in that plane.