France unveiled on Friday a raft of measures aimed at tackling any threat of a biological or chemical attack after the terrorist assaults in the United States.
"The international climate which has prevailed since the September 11 attacks has prompted the government to step up the activities of the various agencies concerned," the minister of state for health, Bernard Kouchner, told a press conference.
Kouchner unveiled a three-pronged plan, called Biotox, and said he hoped France's European Union partners would step up cross-border cooperation in each area:
-- prevention: French laboratories where viruses and germs are stored or used for pharmaceutical research will come under "Vigipirate," a tough security program in which vulnerable sites are placed under enhanced police surveillance. Vigipirate was invoked after the September 11 terror attacks.
Drinking water supplies will be placed under Vigipirate patrols, and there will be additional checks to ensure water purity.
-- health monitoring: France's network of doctors, hospitals and laboratories will be asked to include anthrax on the list of "notifiable diseases" -- disorders of which the authorities must be advised -- and to be alert for any "unusual phenomena."
-- measures in the event of crisis: decontamination teams will be deployed at designated hospitals in the event of any chemical attack, and health professionals will be given training and information on how to cope with biological and chemical agents.
The authorities have also updated the inventory of vaccines and medicines.
"In addition, a facility has been set up, with the help of [pharmaceutical] manufacturers, to ensure and if need be to draw upon stocks of the main antibiotics used in this sort of circumstances," Kouchner said.
Biotox was outlined on Wednesday by Prime Minister Lionel Jospin as part of a series of security measures to reassure the public after September 11 -- PARIS (AFP)
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
