Address public hygiene, premier tells cabinet
Premier Wen Jiabao has called for the nation to use all its resources to curb the outbreak of a viral disease that has killed dozens of children on the mainland with less than three months to go until the Beijing Olympics.
Mr Wen told a State Council meeting yesterday the central government should step up efforts to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, particularly hand, foot and mouth disease, during the summer.
The government has attempted to play down the spread of the disease, caused by enterovirus 71 (EV71), which has killed at least 28 people on the mainland, saying it was a common disease and the death rate had declined in recent days.
But with the Olympics being staged in August, the outbreak has put the nation under the spotlight, despite repeated pledges from mainland health officials that the outbreak can be curbed. Mr Wen told the cabinet a massive health propaganda campaign should be launched in the summer and local governments and departments should put the campaign high on the agenda.
'We should mobilise the grass-roots units and the public to improve environmental hygiene, strengthen supervision of food safety and prevent the occurrence of viral infectious diseases and food-borne infectious diseases,' Xinhua quoted Mr Wen telling the meeting.