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The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Monday approved a program to donate two million US dollars to help combat severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in China's western regions.
Under the program, the donated fund will be used to give technical support to prevent, monitor, manage and ease SARS in the underdeveloped parts of China's western regions.
The program will be first initiated in the provinces and autonomous regions of Ningxia, Qinghai, Xinjiang and Yunnan, according to Christopher Spohr, program officer of ADB.
Priority will be given to the protection of the front-line medical staff, the poverty-stricken population and other groups of people at high risk of infecting the disease.
The fund will also be used to enhance the epidemic monitoring system, invite domestic and foreign experts to offer help in the diagnosis and treatment of SARS, and promote public awareness of preventing the disease.
The program is expected to start in late May of 2003 and run through May next year.
(Xinhua News Agency May 27, 2003)
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