May 22 (Reuters) - The new H1N1 influenza virus is making inroads into parts of Asia after wreaking havoc in Mexico and the United States. Following are details on what Asia is doing to combat and ward off the new swine flu virus, after battling deadly viruses such as the H5N1 bird flu and SARS in recent years: (* denotes changes) ----------------------------------------------------------Current totals of new flu strain cases in Asia: COUNTRY DEATHS CONFIRMED CASES JAPAN * 0 289 NEW ZEALAND 0 9 SOUTH KOREA 0 4 CHINA 0 5 HONG KONG 0 3 THAILAND 0 2 MALAYSIA 0 2 AUSTRALIA * 0 11 INDIA 0 1 TAIWAN * 0 3 PHILIPPINES 0 1 ----------------------------------------------------------- AFGHANISTAN - A medical centre has been set up at Kabul airport to deal with possible cases, but the country cannot afford screening equipment and is relying on other countries to scan outbound passengers - The WHO has donated $500,000 worth of Tamiflu, which will cover 30,360 people AUSTRALIA - Stockpiled 8.7 million doses of the antivirals Tamiflu and Relenza, enough to cover 41 percent of its 21 million population BANGLADESH - Screening incoming passengers at all airports, seaports and border transit points since the outbreak of the virus - Health ministry officials say the country has sufficient supplies of oseltamivir, or Tamiflu, which is produced locally - Local drug companies have been told to prepare to increase their production of oseltamivir in case of an emergency BRUNEI - Issues temporary bans on importing pork from countries with high numbers of flu cases CAMBODIA - Screening incoming visitors at main airports in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, home of the Angkor temples, the country's biggest tourist destination - Maintains a stockpile of 15,750 packets of Tamiflu CHINA - Aims to stockpile enough antivirals for one percent of its 1.3 billion citizens - Stepped up personal hygiene campaigns, checks at airports, including requiring visitors to fill out health status declarations HONG KONG - Instead of quarantining close contacts of patients, they can stay home but will need to report daily to government clinics where they will be given prophylactic drugs - Authorities have 20 million doses of Tamiflu and other antiviral drugs to treat 2 million people in this city of 7 million people - Government has indicated a wish to buy vaccines from producers. Screening has been stepped up at all entry points INDIA - Raising Tamiflu stocks to 10 million from 3 million - Plans to develop a H1N1 flu vaccine but has yet to decide which local drug manufacturers will produce it - Health ministry has stockpiled millions of face masks. It is training medics to recognise and treat the H1N1 virus and has designated certain hospitals to receive those infected INDONESIA - Temperature scanners installed at 10 airports and ports. Blanket ban on pig imports - At least 3 million Tamiflu capsules in stock for a population of 226 million JAPAN - Stockpiles of Tamiflu enough for 33.8 million people, in a country with a total population of 128 million. Government has ordered an amount for another 8.3 million citizens. Central government has enough Relenza for 2.68 million people, while local govts are either holding or have purchased additional Relenza for another 1.33 million citizens - No plans to increase stockpiles of antibiotics, but the country is working to produce new H1N1 vaccines MALAYSIA - Boosting Tamiflu stockpile to cover 10 percent of its 27 million population from 7.5 percent currently NEW ZEALAND - Has a national stockpile of nearly 1.4 million doses of Tamiflu and Relenza, which will cover just under one-third of the 4.3 million population - Health authorities have been screening flights from North America, regarded as the region of greatest risk PHILIPPINES - Tamiflu stockpile estimated at 1.17 million capsules. Government has placed additional order of 200,000 capsules. The Philippines has a population of 91 million - Stepped up surveillance and screening of incoming passengers; Filipinos returning from abroad are told to monitor their health for 10 days and seek medical help if they show influenza-like symptoms SOUTH KOREA - Current Tamiflu stockpile covers 2.5 million people. Has signed deals to secure an additional 2.7 million doses of Tamiflu and Relenza, which would increase its total stockpile to cover 10 percent of its population of about 49 million people TAIWAN - Stockpiles of Tamiflu and Relenza are enough to cover 10 percent of population of 23 million - No orders to produce vaccines, though the government has talked to pharmaceuticals about the possibility THAILAND - Maintains a stockpile of 3.2 million doses of Tamiflu and has materials to produce another 1 million tablets. It has a population of 65 million - Screens and keeps database of visitors from abroad VIETNAM - Visitors arriving from flu-affected countries are being isolated and nationals advised not to visit affected areas - Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam's largest city of more than 8 million people, has stocks of Tamiflu enough for 1 million ASEAN - Health ministers from ASEAN, China, Japan and South Korea pledge to boost drug stockpiles, share essential supplies and tighten surveillance against a virus that poses an "imminent health threat" - Has 500,000 courses of antivirals stockpiled in Singapore and another 500,000 distributed among ASEAN member states (Reporting by Asian bureaux; Editing by Valerie Lee)
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton gives a speech as he attends the amfAR's Cinema Against AIDS 2009 event in Antibes during the 62nd Cannes Film Festival May 21, 2009. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau ...
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