ASEAN Gears Up to Address Swine Flu

Travel and business activities as usual
Our borders remain open and we continue to welcome visitors. Business and life in Singapore continues as usual. Events such as APEC Singapore 2009 and 2009 FORMULA 1 SINGTEL SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX will proceed as planned.

Be socially responsible
Exercise good personal hygiene. Cover your nose and mouth with tissue paper when you cough or sneeze. Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially before touching your eyes, nose or mouth.

If you have flu-like symptoms do not carry on with activities which would bring you into close contact with other people, such as going to shopping malls or attending social events.

Easy access to medical assessment and treatment
If you develop a fever (temperature > 38 deg C) and/or other flu-like symptoms please visit the nearest Pandemic Preparedness Clinic* (PPC) or polyclinic for assessment and treatment. Do inform the doctors and nurses of your travel history. If you have severe symptoms or are in a high risk group** the doctor may refer you to hospital. Call 995 if you experience severe symptoms such as difficulty in breathing, chest pains, and/or persistent vomiting.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for travellers

1.	Is it safe to travel or stay in Singapore or should I cancel my trip?
	Our borders remain open and we continue to welcome visitors. Business and life in Singapore continues as usual. People in high risk groups** should take additional precautions as there are cases of Influenza A (H1N1) in Singapore. The World Health Organization (WHO) is not recommending travel restrictions as Influenza A (H1N1) has spread globally. However, the WHO advises people who are ill to delay travel plans. Find out more about WHO’s Influenza A (H1N1) FAQs on travel at www.who.int.
2.	Will I be quarantined in Singapore if I have been in close contact with someone with Influenza A (H1N1)? What if someone in my tour group is infected?
	Contact tracing and Home Quarantine Orders are generally not required. They can however be initiated under specific situations, based on risk and assessment by public health specialists.
3.	Will I be denied entry to Singapore if I had close contact with an infected person on a flight?
	No, our borders remain open and we continue to welcome visitors. Passengers in close contact with a confirmed Influenza A (H1N1) patient will still be allowed to enter Singapore.
4.	Singapore set up any measures travellers should take note of?
	Pandemic Preparedness Clinics (PPC)* are available island-wide where you can go for assessment and treatment should you develop flu-like symptoms.
5.	What should I do if I develop a fever (temperature > 38 deg C) and/or other flu-like symptoms during my stay in Singapore?
	If you develop a fever (temperature > 38 deg C) and/or other flu-like symptoms please visit the nearest Pandemic Preparedness Clinic* (PPC) or polyclinic for assessment and treatment. Do inform the doctors and nurses of your travel history. If you have severe symptoms or are in a high risk** group the doctor may refer you to hospital. Call 995 if you experience severe symptoms such as difficulty in breathing, chest pains, and/or persistent vomiting.
6.	Will I be quarantined at the airport?
	No, travellers will not be quarantined at the airport. However, if you appear to have flu-like symptoms you will be provided with a face mask and asked to visit the nearest Pandemic Preparedness Clinic (PPC)* for assessment and treatment.
7.	Do I, as a traveller, have to pay for the relevant medical charges if admitted to a public hospital or clinic for medical check or treatment in relation to Influenza A (H1N1)?
	Costs for testing for Influenza A (H1N1) will continue to be waived. Patients will be charged the relevant outpatient consultative charges for assessment. If they are tested at the Accident and Emergency (A&E) wards of public hospitals without admission and eventually diagnosed as negative for Influenza A (H1N1), the fee payable is about S$75 to S$90 at A&E. Influenza A (H1N1) cases will be charged as per the normal charging policy according to their choice of ward for inpatient admission. Costs depend on the number of days hospitalized. Patients are discharged when they have been cleared of Influenza A (H1N1) virus. For more information on non-Singaporean inpatient hospitalisation costs please visit www.moh.gov.sg (“International Patient”) or call Singapore’s Ministry of Health hotline at 1800-333 9999.
8.	What is the latest Influenza A (H1N1) situation in Singapore? Where can I get information?
	For more information on the Influenza A (H1N1) situation in Singapore please visit www.flu.gov.sg, www.moh.gov.sg or call Singapore’s Ministry of Health hotline at 1800-333 9999. At the same time, visitors who require assistance can call our Touristline between 8am and 9pm daily, at 1800-736 2000 (toll-free in Singapore) / (+65) 6736 2000 (from overseas), or pop by any one of our Singapore Visitors Centres, and get the latest updates about the city at www.visitsingapore.com. Information for Tourism Industry Partners is available at www.stb.gov.sg.
* To locate the nearest PPC, please visit www.street-directory.com/hpb.ppc or sms CLINIC to 70550 (available to Singapore registered mobile phone numbers only). The PPCs will be identified with a “H1N1-ready” decal. ** Several groups have been found to be at a higher risk of developing complications from Influenza A (H1N1-2009). You are advised to take additional precautions if you are: Pregnant Undergoing chemotherapy On dialysis On immuno-suppressants; or have Underlying medical conditions such as asthma, chronic lung disease or heart disease; or Young children below 2 years of age.

For further updates on ASEAN statements on Influenza A H1N1, please visit http://www.asean.org/22520.htm and http://www.aseanplus3-eid.info/

For more information about Influenza A H1N1 (Swine Flu) in each of the ASEAN Countries, please refer to the following:

Brunei Darussalam : http://www.moh.gov.bn/
Cambodia: http://www.moh.gov.kh
Indonesia : http://www.depkes.go.id/en/index_en.htm
Malaysia : http://www.moh.gov.my/MohPortal/index.jsp?lang=en
Myanmar : http://www.moh.gov.mm/
Philippines : http://www.doh.gov.ph/
Singapore : http://www.moh.gov.sg/mohcorp/default.aspx
Thailand : http://eng.moph.go.th/
Viet Nam : http://www.moh.gov.vn/homebyt/en/portal/index.jsp

To ensure continuity of its key functions and safety of its staff during the current Influenza A(H1N1) pandemic, the ASEAN Secretariat today ran an emergency exercise on influenza pandemic preparedness.

Consistent with the global call for preparedness, the exercise involved the senior officials and key personnel of the Secretariat. Policies and procedures that need to be operationalised were identified for further action.

"Though the current pandemic appears to be mild, we should not be complacent and let our guard down. We should prepare our officers and personnel for any possible scenario so they can continue to fulfil their roles in the service of the ASEAN Member States," Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community, Dr SOEUNG Rathchavy, said during the exercise.

ASEAN Secretariat Coordinating Centre for Influenza Pandemic spearheaded the emergency exercise, with support from its external crisis management consultant, Dr Goh Moh Heng.

For further updates on ASEAN statements on Influenza A H1N1, please visit http://www.asean.org/22520.htm and http://www.aseanplus3-eid.info/

For more information about Influenza A H1N1 (Swine Flu) in each of the ASEAN Countries, please refer to the following:

Brunei Darussalam : http://www.moh.gov.bn/
Cambodia: http://www.moh.gov.kh
Indonesia : http://www.depkes.go.id/en/index_en.htm
Malaysia : http://www.moh.gov.my/MohPortal/index.jsp?lang=en
Myanmar : http://www.moh.gov.mm/
Philippines : http://www.doh.gov.ph/
Singapore : http://www.moh.gov.sg/mohcorp/default.aspx
Thailand : http://eng.moph.go.th/
Viet Nam : http://www.moh.gov.vn/homebyt/en/portal/index.jsp

Issued by the ASEAN Secretariat.

Despite the current Influenza A(H1N1) pandemic, the region must not resort to panic measures that would affect movement of people and goods, said the Secretary-General of ASEAN today.

Stressing on the importance of increased vigilance within the region and continued transparency in the sharing of information, Dr Surin Pitsuwan called on all the ASEAN Member States to continue providing advice to their citizens with regard to protective measures, detection and treatment. “However, social and economic activities should not be interrupted due to unnecessary travel and trade restrictions,” he cautioned.

Dr Surin was commenting on the decision of the World Health Organization to raise the pandemic alert level from 5 to 6 for the Influenza A(H1N1)virus, making it the first pandemic of the twenty-first century. While the decision reflects the geographic spread, it does not indicate the severity of the disease, with most cases producing mild symptoms.

“According to WHO, we are still in the early days of the pandemic, and it is being monitored closely. While some countries in the ASEAN region have already reported cases, some still have no cases to date,” he said. The ASEAN Member States have long been preparing for a pandemic and the time has come to put their preparedness plans into full swing, he added.

ASEAN has been collaborating with the WHO and will continue to do so to monitor the situation. The Special ASEAN Plus Three Health Ministers Meeting have met on 7-8 May 2009 to coordinate their responses to this pandemic. They now can implement the strategies they have agreed upon.

According to WHO, although the pandemic appears to have moderate severity in comparatively well-off countries, it is prudent to anticipate a bleaker picture as the virus spreads in areas with limited resources.

For the latest update on the A/H1N1 , please visit: http://www.aseanplus3-eid.info/

As the current outbreak of swine flu threatens to spread to the region, ASEAN officials are already stepping up its coordination to address this latest public health emergency, including on the need to put in place common measures throughout the region.

“The region has the necessary experience to come to grips with this latest situation and I am now also coordinating with all ASEAN Ministers of Health in order to provide the necessary cooperation and support,” said Dr Surin Pitsuwan, the Secretary-General of ASEAN.

ASEAN, together with the World Health Organization, has had several exercises held in 2007, 2008 and 2009 to familiarise ASEAN health officials and to ensure a most direct and efficient delivery of Tamiflu and Relenza to the requesting countries. Tamiflu and Relenza can be used to treat symptoms of swine influenza and to prevent disease among those who are infected or exposed to the virus.

In cooperation with Japan, ASEAN has a stockpile of 500,000 courses of antivirals (Tamiflu and Relenza) stockpiled in Singapore and an additional 500,000 courses have been distributed to ASEAN Member States. “We have established a system to draw down the stockpile in the event there is a pandemic,” Dr Surin said. The ASEAN Secretariat is in full alert 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to anticipate any request for the antiviral drugs by the Member States,” he added.

“In view of the urgency, the ASEAN Secretariat is also arranging for a teleconference with the region’s health officials, comprising experts on communicable diseases and on emerging infectious diseases,” said Dr Surin. The teleconference aims to review current preventive measures that are being taken by the ASEAN Member States and the need to consider a common stand and secure agreement on issues related to the public health measures being carried out e.g., on surveillance, quarantine, border control and other relevant issues. The issue of mobilisation of additional resources such as the ASEAN stockpile of antiviral agents and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is also expected to be on the agenda.

Regional measures are expected to supplement that carried out by individual ASEAN Member States to ensure that they are prepared to face the occurrence of swine flu among humans. Cambodia, for example, has increased its surveillance for unusual respiratory illnesses in hospitals, health centres and airports. It has also prepared stockpiles of medication. The Philippines has meanwhile stepped up its surveillance and biosecurity measures in all international and local airports and has instituted thermal scanning for all arriving passengers from countries with reported swine flu cases.

The Secretariat is also to continue working with the World Health Organization (WHO) and other regional health bodies, said Dr Surin. According to the WHO, which has declared this event as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, Phase 3 involves sporadic cases or small clusters of disease in people with limited human-to-human transmission while Phase 4 is characterised by verified human-to-human transmission and able to cause community-level outbreaks. The WHO has stressed that this marks an upward shift in the risk for a pandemic.

For further updates on ASEAN statements on Influenza A H1N1, please visit http://www.asean.org/22520.htm and http://www.aseanplus3-eid.info/

For more information about Influenza A H1N1 (Swine Flu) in each of the ASEAN Countries, please refer to the following:

Brunei Darussalam : http://www.moh.gov.bn/
Cambodia: http://www.moh.gov.kh
Indonesia : http://www.depkes.go.id/en/index_en.htm
Malaysia : http://www.moh.gov.my/MohPortal/index.jsp?lang=en
Myanmar : http://www.moh.gov.mm/
Philippines : http://www.doh.gov.ph/
Singapore : http://www.moh.gov.sg/mohcorp/default.aspx
Thailand : http://eng.moph.go.th/
Viet Nam : http://www.moh.gov.vn/homebyt/en/portal/index.jsp

Preventive and Controlling Measures on Swine Flu for Tourists visiting Thailand

According to World Health Organization declaration on situation of the new virus swine flu that the infection is now at level 5; even the pandemic has not been found both in animals and humans in Thailand at present, the government has established preventive and controlling measures to ensure confidence in safety of tourists visiting Thailand.

The Cabinet has endorsed the National Committee on Prevention, Control and Preparedness for Swine Flu Pandemic, whose responsibilities include setting up preventive and controlling measures, cooperating with international communities, providing knowledge for people in taking care of themselves and in travelling to risky countries.

The Ministry of Public Health has also watched those similar flu and lung symptoms, laboratory investigation, medical storage, prevention equipment, patient curing, etc.

Infrared Thermo Scanners have been installed at every international airport since 27 April 2009 to screen those high temperature passengers.

Every airline will distribute a form to passengers to fill out information on their travel, accommodation, and telephone numbers in case the pandemic spreads in the country.

Tourism associations, entrepreneurs, and hotel operators have been invited by the government for briefing on accurate present situation and for collaboration in facilitating tourists in case of infection. Tour operators have been requested to trace tourists coming from Mexico or risky areas in order to follow up and provide medical service in case there is a suspect.

The Ministry of Public Health has prepared medical doctors and investigation system. Patients with flu are presumed to have an ordinary flu, but if having recently travelled or met people in risky areas and suspected of infection; doctors will take care of the investigation. At present, there are 14 laboratories throughout the country and 6 mobile units; the result will come out within 4 hours.

For public relations, a manual on accurate situation and prevention procedures including participation in a network has been distributed to people. Suggestions have been passed through various media and news centres, hotline: 02 590 3333, call centre: 1669 for 24 hours. The websites are www.moph.go.th and http://beid.ddc.moph.go.th

The Ministry of Public Health has provided guidelines for hospitals over the country in screening and curing patients and revised periodically according to the situation of the disease. The anti-virus medicines and anti-infection equipment are adequately stocked.

Hospitals in Bangkok and boundary have prepared 50 emergency rooms for suspected patients.

The Ministry of Public Health has prepared the anti-virus medicines; 3 million tablets of Oseltamivir enough for 325,000 patients and Zanamivir (sprayed). The Government Pharmaceutical Organization (GPO) has prepared raw materials to produce GPO – A – Flu with production capacity of 200,000 tablets per day.

ASEAN Member States are ready for prevention with 500,000 dose of anti-virus medicine from Japan stocked in Singapore. It is confident that Thailand and ASEAN Member States are safe and ready if the infection and spread occur.