BEIJING, May 18 (Xinhua) -- The A/H1N1 flu virus is continuing to spread worldwide, and the international community has attached great importance to its prevention and strengthened preventive measures.

    Since the outbreak of the epidemic, governments and peoples across the world have adopted various measures, including boosting the idea of self-prevention and other effective methods to fight the deadly flu.

    Adding to current anti-flu laws and experience, the enhancement of self-prevention awareness among the public is one of the effective ways to control the epidemic.

    Self-prevention is the key and basic link in fighting A/H1N1 flu.

    The importance of self-prevention is that it improves the initiative and effectiveness of preventing and holding back the flu.

    If every person can keep alert to the flu and try to prevent it,it would be possible to secure timely discovery, diagnosis and treatment of the disease at an earlier date. Past experience in fighting an epidemic has repeatedly proved its effectiveness.

    Currently, the whole world is trying to find ways and means to tackle the spreading financial crisis, while preventing and controlling A/H1N1 flu is opening a new frontier for global efforts to win a "war of public health."

    It would be both a test and challenge to effectively pool resources to fight the epidemic, keep a normalized social and economic life, and protect the interests and rights of the public.

    Self-prevention against the flu, once becoming a common understanding, would evolve into a popular practice among the public, which bears an importance that cannot be overestimated in the public health sector.