RI free of SARS: WHO

RI free of SARS: WHO

JAKARTA: The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared
Indonesia and other Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN)
members free of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS),
according to a senior government official.

Umar Fahmi Achmadi, director general for communicable diseases
eradication at the Ministry of Health, said on Monday that WHO's
decision to remove ASEAN from the SARS list took effect on June
12.

"Since June 11, there were no SARS victims in ASEAN," he was
quoted by Antara as saying.

There was therefore no need to be afraid of traveling to ASEAN
countries any longer, he said. People have avoided visiting the
region since the SARS outbreak in March.

ASEAN consists of Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand,
Philippine, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar. --
Antara