[Editorial] APEC Discusses Bird Flu
Leaders will talk about Aves Influenza (AI) at the Busan APEC Summit. In order to check the agenda for the summit, about 100 representatives of foreign affairs and trade from 21 member countries came to Haeundae BEXCO for the Concluding Senior Officials Meeting (CSOM) on the 12th of November. It was decided that they would talk about AI at the meeting. As AI is spreading and causing problems in the world, they will discuss details for cooperation in the development of vaccines and alert systems.
After AI broke out in Asia on the 10th of November, It has spread to Europe, Russia, the Middle East, South America and Africa. Everyone is on alert for it, but some countries lack medication for AI.
Recently, AI has spread rapidly in China and East South Asia, so it is very likely that there will be an outbreak in South Korea. The Asia Development Bank said that if AI spreads to South Korea, it would result in economic damage of between 10 billion dollars and 38 billion dollars. If AI really happens in South Korea, it is predicted that GDP will decrease from 1.5% to 0.3% in 2006. South Korea will suffer severe economic damage as business conditions are expected to barely turn upward from the bottom.
In order to prevent domestic economic damage, the government should be on the alert for AI.
There are countries taking the lead to prevent AI among APEC countries. South Korea should actively support financial aid to public sanitation experts and the veterinarians domestically and internally. South Korea should prevent AI from landing in the country, as well as decrease damage in developing countries. The government will have to set the foundation for South Korea to be an advanced country in public health area. They have a good chance to let the world know the level of public sanitation and new medication technology of South Korea.
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 / 입력시간: 2005. 11.15. 08:27
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