Global health experts and officials today warned against complacency as they sought ways to boost the world's health systems to prepare for a possible resurgence of Sars and future pandemics at a World Health Organization conference in Kuala Lumpur.

The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars) epidemic, which has killed nearly 800 people worldwide, is a "wake-up call" for countries to invest in public health care and correct structural deficiencies, delegates said.

"It's too early to be overconfident. We have some way to go but I think the Sars has been a good wake-up call. It has alerted people to deficiencies, it will help us to plan better for the next one," said Alan Schnur, a WHO representative in China.

Being on guard

Dan Rutz from the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta added: "Infectious diseases are here to stay. We can't be complacent and pretend Sars will go away forever. New diseases will come and we have to be on our guard."

A WHO official urged countries not to repeat the mistakes of Toronto, which reported a new death Tuesday after a second wave of Sars patient emerged in late May following the apparent containment of the outbreak.

"Toronto has the biggest problems for now and it has taught us the dangers of dropping our guard," he said.

The WHO is investigating reports of a second exported case from Canada to the US, he added.

But upgrading health infrastructure comes at a cost and drawing workers to public health care, where salaries are four to five times lower than in the private sector, is a key problem.

"You can't strengthen preparedness for an outbreak unless you strengthen day-to-day routine structures in public health. While everyone agrees on preparedness, no one has put in the money," said Mohamed Said Patel, a consultant to the WHO's Western Pacific office.

"I think it's a shame to call Sars a blessing in disguise but if that's the best word that we have, then absolutely yes, it is," he said.

"We need to capitalise on the Sars outbreak and use it to lobby politicians and donor groups to give funding to strengthen prepareness and public health."

Public awareness

More than 1,000 scientists, doctors and officials are attending the two-day conference focusing on clinical issues, control and surveillance on Sars, which the WHO described as the first major global epidemic of the 21st century.

WHO officials said China, where Sars originated late last year, held the key to containing the disease and public awareness was crucial amid fears that Sars could resurface during winter.

The WHO on Tuesday lifted a warning against travel to Taiwan but Beijing remained on the blacklist.

"It may be prevalent in winter but it dies out in summer and it may come surging back in Hong Kong and Guangdong province (where it first started) in November," said WHO official Dick Thompson.

"In the absence of a diagnostic kit or a remedy and vaccine, there's only one way to contain this disease and that is through public awareness."

Lobbying for seat

Taiwan - which is attending its first WHO meeting in 30 years - is meanwhile appealing for a WHO seat, warning it would be dangerous to exclude it after its Sars experience.

"We don't know what kind of pathogen will return to society. The exclusion of Taiwan from the WHO will not only threaten us but also the whole world," said Su Ih-Jen, director-general of Taiwan's Centre of Disease Control.

Taiwan wants the WHO to allow it to plug in to the communications between the body's 12 laboratories worldwide, which is a "very powerful network and system for early direction," he said.

"I appealed to members here that we need to receive direct data and support from the WHO. If we become a WHO member, it will be better for exchange of information." - AFP