The world still faces a substantial threat of a flu pandemic and countries need to speed up preparations for a global outbreak, health experts said Tuesday.
"We can't delude ourselves. The threat of a pandemic influenza has not diminished," said Keiji Fukuda, coordinator for the World Health Organization's global influenza programme.
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Fukuda spoke to a meeting of about 150 health experts from governments, the World Health Organization (WHO) and other agencies to update the health organisation's pandemic influenza preparedness plan.
Scientists fear that the H5N1 strain of bird flu virus - which began ravaging Asian poultry stocks in late 2003 - could mutate into a form that spreads easily among humans, potentially sparking a pandemic that kills millions.
So far, most human cases have been linked to contact with infected birds.
Most countries unprepared
Fukuda said more than 150 countries had some kind of national preparedness plans, but some were merely pieces of paper acknowledging the risk.
He said it was crucial for all levels of society to be involved in the preparations and that everyone knew where to go for information. "If somebody is sick in the family, for example, and it's difficult to get to hospital, they need to know what sort of advice might be available," Fukuda said.
The WHO says 382 people have come down with bird flu since 2003, and 241 of them have died. Indonesia, with 108 of the deaths, is seen by experts as a potential hotspot for a pandemic.
WHO is updating its 2005 preparedness plan to include progress in research on flu viruses, stronger international cooperation and experience with human cases of bird flu.
"Our understanding of the virus, the effects on people, the
epidemiology (of) how viruses move around the world, is much greater than it was a few years ago, and this continues," Fukuda said.
Pandemic vaccine may be a reality soon
Stockpiles of antivirals have been built since 2005, he said. WHO has stockpiled a total of 5 million antiviral treatment courses ready to be distributed if a pandemic breaks out.
He said significant strides have been made toward the development of a pandemic vaccine.
"A few years ago it would not have been possible to talk about pandemic vaccines," he said. "All of a sudden we have new things to work with."
Experience and research over the last few years have led experts to believe that it is possible to stop a pandemic influenza right at the beginning of the outbreak, said Fukuda, adding that they recognised it will be difficult.
New measures ease impact
Max Hardiman, from the organisation's secretariat for health
regulations, said measures to contain a pandemic should avoid
unnecessary travel restrictions. Under the health regulations countries are putting in place measures to curb the spread of a pandemic, he said.
These include ensuring access to medical centres, control of airports and other points of entry and preparations to isolate sick people and quarantine contacts. (Sapa)
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