[Title] JOINT STATEMENT on Combating Communicable Diseases within the Shanghai Cooperation

Cooperation of the relevant services of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in charge of combating communicable diseases and ensuring population sanitary and epidemiological well-being is vital for ensuring sustainable development and prosperity of the region.

1. The emergence of new infections such as pandemic influenza and increased threat of the transmission of incurable and obstinate diseases due to migration, necessitate adoption of comprehensive measures to improve mechanisms of joint actions in order to prevent the spread of epidemics.

The main areas of cooperation will include:

- building capacity of laboratory networks;

- collecting and processing information on communicable diseases;

- timely and transparent exchange of information related to outbreaks of communicable diseases.

It has been recognized important to focus on achieving the following objectives:

- taking effective joint measures to address threats of sudden-onset of acute communicable diseases and mitigating of their impacts;

- encouraging research and exchanges in the field of communicable diseases, including implementing joint research programs and supporting the research community on bilateral and multilateral basis;

- having close cooperation among sanitary and epidemiological services and other relevant agencies in mitigating health emergencies.

2. In order to identify and prevent communicable diseases among migrants, the collaboration will be strengthened between the health services of the SCO member states and immigration control and interior affairs (public security) authorities and employers.

3. The key elements of the joint efforts to contain the spread of epidemics in the SCO will include:

- improving the system of communicable diseases surveillance and monitoring, inter alia, at state border checkpoints, and strengthening bilateral cooperation of sanitary and epidemiological services at such checkpoints;

- exchanging information in a timely fashion on outbreaks of communicable diseases, their causes and measures to eliminate them in compliance with the International Health Regulations.

4. The joint efforts to mitigate the influenza pandemic impact should include measures of mutual support to supervision and prevention thereof, including provision of vaccines, and they should be implemented in close cooperation with leading international organizations.

5. The SCO member states support the efforts by the international community to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria and welcome measures to address the issues outlined in the Political Declaration on HIV/ AIDS adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2006, as well as the Millennium Development Goals.

To this end, the SCO member states intend to focus on:

- promoting academic exchanges in the field of prevention and treatment of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria;

- mutually supporting the implementation of national programs of prevention and treatment of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

6. It has been deemed expedient to prevent cross-border infections through increased joint efforts to combat communicable diseases that are managed by immunization. To this end, arrangements will be made for cooperation in provision of immune-biological preparations and in organizational and methodical assistance.

7. In the context of the need for high-quality diagnostics, prevention and treatment of communicable diseases, considerable importance should be attached to creating favorable conditions for supplies of drugs and diagnostics means, immune-biological preparations and medical equipment.

8. The SCO member states will cooperate with the view of improving the capacity to address negative impacts of natural and man-made disasters on the health systems infrastructure.