SARS hit test credibility of ASEAN and China<\/p>\n
S. Pushpanathan, Assistant Director, External Relations, ASEAN Secretariat, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Just as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was
\npicking up the pieces and putting in place major initiatives to
\nintegrate the region and make it globally competitive after the
\nfinancial crisis of 1997, the economic slowdown of the new
\nmillennium and last year's Bali bombing, another challenge, this
\ntime from an unknown and mutant microbe, has reared its head.<\/p>\n
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which has killed
\nmore than 300 people worldwide with more than 80 percent of the
\ndeaths attributed to China and Hong Kong, has infected close to
\n5,000 people globally.<\/p>\n
Even though the mortality rate is only about 6 percent and in
\ncomparison insignificant to that of the extremely deadly Ebola
\nvirus with a death rate of over 90 percent, the panic it has
\ncaused has affected the economies in the region.<\/p>\n
Many of the countries have downgraded their growth rates with
\nthe hospitality, retail and tourism sectors feeling the brunt of
\nthe problem. Tourist arrivals from many East Asian countries have
\nfallen drastically with some major hotels reporting only 5
\npercent to 10 percent occupancy rates. Fear grips many faster
\nthan the disease itself, in some instances due to the actions of
\nthe authorities themselves.<\/p>\n
As in the case of the financial crisis, the region did not
\nexpect or anticipate such an attack that could leave the ASEAN
\neconomies bleeding. Fortunately past experiences have been a good
\nteacher. The way ASEAN responded to the financial crisis and in
\naddressing terrorism may have left it much criticized in the
\ninitial stages, but it provided a strong impetus for action and
\ncooperation, which gradually resulted in taking joint action at
\nthe bilateral and regional levels to address the financial crisis
\nand terrorism, with some remarkable accomplishments.<\/p>\n
This includes the emergence of the ASEAN plus Three Process,
\nwhich is now the center piece for East Asia cooperation, the
\nsuccessful arrest of the culprits of the Bali bombing and the
\ncrackdown of terrorist groups linked to the Sept. 11 attacks.<\/p>\n
ASEAN is fully aware that the current contagion will require
\nan immediate regional approach to effectively address the problem
\nand that there is no time to waste. This is so since there is no
\ncure or vaccine for SARS and the most prudent option for fighting
\nSARS now is to contain the problem with effective preventive
\nmeasures.<\/p>\n
ASEAN is wise in inviting China to the Leaders' meeting since
\nany concerted effort to tackle the problem must involve China
\nwhere the disease first emerged. Involving China provides the
\nopportunity for both sides to collaborate in understanding the
\nnature of the mutant virus and how it could have jumped from
\nlivestock to humans as well as the immediate tasks of addressing
\nthe problem at its roots.<\/p>\n
Hence, ASEAN's swift action in organizing an ASEAN+3 meeting
\namong the ASEAN and East Asian countries of China, Japan and the
\nRepublic of Korea in Kuala Lumpur last week and the ASEAN Leaders
\nSpecial Meeting on SARS this week in Bangkok, which was also
\nattended by China and Hong Kong.<\/p>\n
All this was done in less than a month of the outbreak of the
\nproblem in ASEAN. The meeting in Kuala Lumpur came up with strict
\nmeasures to fight the problem, which included screening of
\ndeparting passengers, mandatory submission of health declaration
\nforms by visitors from affected countries, in-flight management
\nof suspected SARS cases, and surveillance of persons who have
\nbeen in contact with suspected SARS cases.<\/p>\n
The Special Meeting of the Leaders provides the opportunity
\nfor ASEAN, together with China and Hong Kong, to better
\nunderstand the situation and preventive measures that have been
\ntaken by all to combat the often-deadly virus. It helps to share
\nthe expertise and experience gained in the last one month by some
\nof the countries attempting to tackle the problem.<\/p>\n
The lack of any caregiver assigned to treat SARS patients at
\nTan Tock Seng Hospital in Singapore becoming ill is a good
\nexample, since one third of all SARS infections are estimated to
\nhave originated in the hospital environment.<\/p>\n
The Leaders' meeting provides a window for ASEAN and China to
\nconvey the message to the world that ASEAN is serious about the
\nproblem and is committed to taking all preventive measures to
\nallay apprehensions of travelers and investors to reinstate
\nbusiness-as-usual conditions in the region.<\/p>\n
While this may not be easy, the continued reduction in
\ninfection rates in Vietnam, Canada and Hong Kong and the WHO
\nannouncement that the worst is over for Singapore helps to shore
\nup confidence among business travelers and tourists.<\/p>\n
It also gives these countries a shot in the arm for all the
\npainful efforts in bringing down the infections and eventually
\nhelps to spur them to win the battle against SARS.<\/p>\n
What may be a significant outcome of the meeting is the
\nissuing of a joint plan of action, which would provide a
\ncoordinated and concerted strategy to put in place immediate
\nmeasures to contain SARS from exploding into a pandemic and plans
\nto manage and eradicate the problem.<\/p>\n
ASEAN is again facing a credibility challenge in the name of
\nSARS. How ASEAN fares will be judged by how the region as a
\nwhole, together with its East Asian partners, is going to tackle
\nthe problem.<\/p>",
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