UK, SA meet on health threats
Zibonele Ntuli
21 April 2005
Health experts from South Africa and the UK meet in Pretoria on Friday to consider ways of curbing the spread of infectious diseases.
The one-day seminar comes as the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region strengthens its efforts against infectious diseases such as the Marburg virus that has claimed over 200 lives in Angola.
The health experts are expected to make presentations on preventing and controlling the Marburg virus and how to reduce the adverse effects of chemical, microbiological and radiological hazards.
The seminar follows an agreement that Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang entered into with her UK counterpart, John Hutton, over two years ago.
"The interaction we are going to have builds on the long-lasting scientific cooperation which has existed between South African professionals and their counterparts in the agency", Tshabalala-Msimang said.
The experts will also consider ways of handling
illegal food ingredients, such as Sudan Red dye, a cancer-causing food dye first detected in certain foodstuffs in Britain almost two months ago.
South Africa has since removed 15 food products that have tested positive for the colourant from the country's shelves.
Source: BuaNews
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