Beijing sets up $733 million swine flu fund

The central government has set aside US$733.3 million to prevent the H1N1 swine flu virus from entering the mainland, the South China Morning Post reported. In announcing the fund, Premier Wen Jiabao also pledged closer co-operation with international organizations to contain the disease, and ordered mainland health authorities to work closely with their counterparts in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. Local governments were encouraged to allocate funds to fight the disease. The mainland has yet to have a confirmed case of swine flu, although a man infected with the virus transferred at Shanghai’s Pudong airport on his way from Mexico to Hong Kong. The report did not elaborate on how the money would be spent.