For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
October 21, 2003
Fact Sheet
Health Security Initiative
Presidential Action
Today, President Bush and the Other APEC Leaders Endorsed the
U.S.-driven health security initiative.
Lessons of SARS: The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak
of 2003 demonstrated the importance of prevention, surveillance and
detection, and coordinated responses to outbreaks of disease, whether
they occur naturally, like SARS, or are inflicted intentionally, like
the 2001 anthrax incidents in the United States.
APEC Response: APEC Leaders took action to improve the region's
preparedness to counter such health threats. In launching the Health
Security Initiative today, APEC Leaders committed to protect the
region's people and economies by improving the public health
infrastructure and working together to combat disease and
bioterrorism. Specifically, the Leaders agreed to:
- Improve Disease Monitoring: APEC economies will focus on
improving disease monitoring and response mechanisms, as well as
expanding regional coordination through the APEC Emerging Infections
Network and collaboration with multilateral organizations, including
the World Health Organization;
- Increase Security of Biological Pathogens: APEC economies
will implement measures to ensure that biological pathogens are stored
and transferred safely and securely;
- Strengthen Controls on Dual-use Biological Materials and
Equipment: APEC Leaders responded to the critical need for strict
import and export controls on dual-use biological materials and
equipment by committing to enact and strengthen the necessary
legislation, as well as criminalize offensive weapons activity.
- Establish strict codes of ethical and operational conduct for
bio-scientists.
REDI Center: Leaders welcomed the establishment of the joint
U.S.-Singapore Regional Emerging Disease Intervention (REDI) Center. The
REDI Center will focus on preventing and responding to disease, both
naturally-occurring and man-made. The REDI Center will:
- Combat emerging infectious diseases and bioterrorism by
providing a base for training health professionals;
- Bring together researchers from around the region to
cooperate on emerging infectious diseases;
- Translate the findings of health research into improved
public health by facilitating the development of new vaccines, drugs
and diagnostic tests designed to prevent, defeat and detect new health
threats.
###
Return to this article at:
/news/releases/2003/10/20031021-5.html