Posted by: webmaster | March 18th, 2010 |
Sunday, September 17, 2006 · Last updated 10:40 a.m. PT
WHO: Bird flu pandemic risk still high
By MARGIE MASON
AP MEDICAL WRITER
| http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/dayart/aponline/38481.23SINGAPORE-WORLD-BANK-BIRD-FLU.sff.jpg | |
| The U.N.'s Chief for Bird Flu, David Nabarro speaks to reporters during a press briefing Sunday Sept. 17, 2006 in Singapore. Africa and East Asia, especially Indonesia and China, are particularly at risk for bird flu outbreaks despite progress in combatting the disease in many countries, World Bank and U.N. experts said Sunday.(AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) |
AUCKLAND, New Zealand -- The risk of a flu pandemic remains high despite possible public fatigue with the issue, but the World Health Organization is hopeful the bird flu virus will do less damage than in past years during Asia's upcoming colder months, an official said Sunday.
"The virus seems to be very embedded in the environment and, in our view, the risk of a pandemic continues unabated," Richard Nesbit, WHO's acting regional director for the Western Pacific, told reporters prior to a weeklong meeting in Auckland, New Zealand.
"Recently, we've seen new outbreaks in poultry in Cambodia and also in Thailand, besides seeing continuing outbreaks in Indonesia," he said.
Bird flu is expected to be one of the top items discussed for the third straight year at the annual WHO regional meeting, which helps set the organization's strategic agenda. The H5N1 virus has killed at least 144 people since it began ravaging Asian poultry stocks in late 2003, and experts worry more fatalities will emerge as the cooler months approach.
Nesbit said he's encouraged by the progress Vietnam has made in beating back the virus. The communist country has recorded the second-highest number of fatalities after Indonesia, but has not detected a human case since November 2005. Vietnam has credited its success to a mass vaccination campaign of poultry and strong political will.
"I think that we've made a lot of effort in building up capacity in other countries, so I'm also hopeful that we will see a much improved situation (and) that we will not get human cases," he said of the cooler weather, when bird flu outbreaks and human cases are often logged.
Bird flu remains hard for humans to catch, but experts fear the virus could mutate into a new form that spreads easily among people. So far, most human cases have been traced to contact with infected birds, but Nesbit said the public should not lower its guard even though the warning has now become somewhat old.
"The scientists are telling us that the risk is just as present as ever. ... We are seeing continuing evolution of these viruses and that's been very well documented now both in humans but as well also in poultry," he said. "After three years now, I'm sure that many journalists and the public are starting to get tired of the same message that there's a potential global pandemic around the corner, but we have a responsibility to continue to give this message."
In Singapore, officials from the World Bank and United Nations expressed worry on the sidelines of the bank's annual meeting about bird flu in Africa and Asia, particularly China and Indonesia.
Last week, David Nabarro, the U.N.'s point man on bird flu, said he would push for donors to give more money to help Indonesia, which has been hit by a string of bird flu cases and has become the worst-hit nation with 49 human deaths.
The WHO meeting in New Zealand, attended by 37 countries and territories, also will address a number of other major health issues affecting the region, including heart disease, diabetes, AIDS and tuberculosis.
Smoking and alcohol control also will be discussed, along with the migration of health care workers throughout the region.
.
Bird flu remains No. 1 global health threat - WHO
22 September 2006
| http://www.stuff.co.nz/inl/images/null.gif |
Bird flu remained the number one danger facing global public health, a World Health Organisation spokesman said as a five-day conference on issues facing the western Pacific region closed today.
The WHO Western Pacific Region's 57th annual meeting wound to a close in Auckland today, amid warnings over avian influenza and rising lifestyle-related diseases such as obesity and cancer.
Earlier this week, WHO acting regional director for the western Pacific Dr Richard Nesbit urged member country delegates to do more to prepare for an outbreak of bird flu, saying no nation would be immune.
The group was also told WHO lacked about half of the funds needed to help countries prepare for and fight bird flu.
WHO spokesman Peter Cordingley said many countries did not have the money or resources to implement full emergency plans.
He said a potential pandemic could spread quickly to remote nations due to the speed of modern transport.
"It will travel at the speed of a 747 jet," Mr Cordingley said.
"We're asking everybody to take precautions."
Today, Dr Nesbit said the meeting had also recognised lifestyle diseases such as obesity, cancer and problems associated with excessive alcohol consumption also had to be "urgently addressed".
Member countries undertook to step up their defences against threats such as bird flu and non-communicable diseases.
The meeting also endorsed a regional strategy designed to stem the exodus of healthcare workers from poorer countries in the region to more affluent nations.
The gathering of senior health officials heard that, unchecked, the migration could push some of the region's public health systems to the brink of collapse.
Other issues examined included universal access to HIV/Aids treatment, prevention and control of tuberculosis, and programme updates on measles elimination, hepatitis B control and polio eradication, as well as tobacco control, mental health and environmental health.
"We had a very broad agenda this year," said Dr Nesbit.
"I believe that it is a fair reflection of the magnitude of the health problems facing the region and of the determination of our member states to tackle those issues."
#If you have any other info about this subject , Please add it free.# |
submit comment
