Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS): The International Response

Publication Date: September 2003

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: Health

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Abstract:

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), a new highly infectious disease, was first identified by the World Health Organization (WHO) in February 2003. While the overall number of confirmed cases is not high by comparison with statistics for other infectious diseases, the distance and speed with which SARS spread raised an alarm over the potential risks to international public health. Containment appears to be working; however, there are fears that another SARS outbreak could take place during the regular influenza season later in 2003.

The United States was instrumental in the global effort to contain the spread of SARS. Affected countries responded in different ways. Singapore and Taiwan acted quickly and encouraged international support in curbing the spread of the virus. China, on the other hand, has been criticized for down-playing the magnitude of the problem, particularly in the early phase of the disease. This, some analysts contend, ultimately enabled the virus to cross borders and in the case of Canada, hemispheres.

This report takes a retrospective look at the global response by WHO and by those countries most affected. It reveals some of the challenges that may lie ahead for the global health community, such as global interdependence and transparency, surge capacity, management of public fear and information disclosure, coordination of different national responses, and lack of funding. Examining the impacts of SARS and lessons learned may be useful in the response to future outbreaks or incidences of new diseases. This report will not be updated.