A woman stands near a poster explaining about the Zika virus at the Ministry of Health office in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Sept 2, 2016. (Reuters photo)NEW DELHI - Eleven countries in South and East Asia on Friday agreed to establish an emergency fund to strengthen their health services to better respond to outbreaks of diseases, including emerging viruses such as Zika, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Friday. The ratio of health care providers in the region currently stands at 12.5 workers for every 10,000 people, just a quarter of the WHO recommended a minimum of 44.5. A strong public health system is the best shock absorber in such settings," said Unni Krishnan, Save the Children's emergency health director in Asia and Pacific. "This initiative should aim to prepare local medical colleges and local health systems for such scenarios - a collaborative approach between governments, UN systems and non-governmental organisations is key."

Source: Bangkok Post September 10, 2016 04:52 UTC