The Ministry of Health (MOH) has advised Ghanaians who wish to travel to the Far East, particularly China, to undertake such trips only when they were "absolutely necessary".

This advice was in line with the World Health Organisation (WHO) measures at controlling the spread of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) by international travel. A statement signed by Mr. S. Owusu-Agyei for the Minster of Health said in Accra on Monday.

WHO-recommended measures to prevent the travel-related spread of SARS include a screening process to identify people with possible SARS symptoms leaving or arriving in an affected area.

"WHO also recommends that individual countries, as they make their own travel advice, may wish to take into account national considerations, and that persons travelling to affected countries should consider postponing non-essential travels".

The statement said these recommendations were based on concerns about more general community transmission of the disease in the affected regions of the world.

The MOH pointed out that it was in the interest of every Ghanaian to abide by the WHO guidelines on the SARS in relation to international travel.