SINGAPORE -- The outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, is sending shivers down the spines of Asian governments and citizens alike. China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Vietnam have been the most affected by this scourge, while other Asian countries are desperately trying to prevent the disease from reaching their shores. The 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, watch Singapore (one of the group's most developed members) battling the virus as the number of dead and infected rapidly rise.
There is fear that countries with fewer financial resources than Singapore would suffer considerably more fatalities in the event of a SARS outbreak.
Therein lies the importance of the ASEAN "SARS Summit" in Bangkok on Tuesday. Attended by ASEAN heads of government and their ministers of immigration and health, this unprecedented summit will be hosted by Thailand, but presided over by Cambodia, which currently holds the group's rotating presidency. It will mark the first coordinated ASEAN attempt to share information on how each country is tackling SARS, and to collectively decide on regional measures to contain the virus.