Chinese scientists across the world have taken a united front to
find an effective way of containing SARS epidemic.
A
total of 86 overseas Chinese experts in 14 countries participated
in an online meeting Sunday, exchanging ideas about how to treat
SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome).
The Internet meeting lasted a whole day and at least 170
suggestions on three topics were gathered -- SARS diagnosis in the
initial period, vaccines and anti-SARS drugs.
Li
Xueyong, vice-minister of science and technology, expressed
gratitude to all the participants.
A
cross-Straits symposium in the form of a videoconference was also
held Sunday on how to prevent and treat SARS with traditional
Chinese medicine (TCM).
Scores of TCM experts from the mainland and Taiwan attended the
three-party event organized by the China Association of Chinese
Medicine, with separate meeting rooms in Beijing, Guangzhou and
Taipei.
The move followed a similar symposium between Western medicine
experts from the three cities and aimed to push ahead with joint
efforts by both sides of the Taiwan Straits to fight the SARS
outbreak.
Li
Junde, secretary-general of the association, said mainland people,
especially medical workers, are deeply concerned with the worsening
SARS situation on the island.
"We hope TCM experts from across the Straits can share their
experience in applying TCM treatment to combat SARS to bring this
epidemic under control at an early date,'' he told the two-hour
meeting.
Li
said mainland health care workers have achieved initial success in
treating SARS through TCM treatment, which may help their Taiwan
counterparts make better use of such therapy.
Taiwan Sunday reported 22 new SARS cases, 12 deaths and 20
suspected SARS cases. The number of SARS cases in Taiwan has grown
to 570, with 72 deaths, and is expected to rise further.
Cao Hongxin, president of the Chinese Academy of Traditional
Chinese Medicine, said TCM treatment has proved effective in curing
SARS in clinical practice in Beijing and Guangzhou -- the two
worst-affected cities on the mainland.
In
Beijing, more than 1,800 TCM medical workers have joined the
frontline battle against SARS, with up to 1,000 SARS patients being
treated with pure TCM therapy or combined use of TCM and western
medicine.
In
a keynote speech at the symposium, Cao said TCM treatment can play
an important role in reducing the death rate among SARS patients,
alleviating their symptoms, improving results of treatment and
speeding up their recovery.
After hundreds of clinical tests, about 150 TCM researchers have
chosen a total of eight TCM medicines with good curative effects
and recommended them for use in treating SARS, according to
Cao.
Tong Xiaolin, a TCM doctor from the Sino-Japanese Friendship
Hospital, revealed the State Administration of TCM is applying a
research program from the World Health Organization for the
systematic use of TCM to help prevent and treat the highly
infectious disease.
Upon its completion, the program involving policy-making, clinical
treatment, technical support and medicine research will help
promote the value of TCM in combating the disease outbreak, Tong
said.
(China Daily May 26, 2003)