Tuesday, July 15, 2008

A global look on avian influenza

Two things happen during the summer: generally, flu news tends to dip a bit and my blogging interns go off to do field work, so a little less posting happens to this blog.

It is a good time to step back and reflect, however. This latest article from Margret Chan "A Global Perspective on Avian Influenza" published Annals of the Academy of Medicine of Singapore
touches on an important point for me: the world has never before tried to prevent a pandemic (of any sorts) at this scale. I think it's very important that we remember just what it is we've set out to do in order that we don't get discouraged when it's not easy.

Abstract:

"Global public health security is both a collective aspiration and a mutual responsibility that demands cooperative action at all levels. The expansion of the current H5N1 avian influenza enzootic and its incursion into human health presents a real and significant threat of an influenza pandemic.

The world has for the first time an unprecedented opportunity for pandemic preparation. Current global efforts to tackle the H5N1 pandemic threat are centred around the framework of the International Health Regulations (2005) that requires countries to openly share disease intelligence including clinical samples, viruses and epidemiological information.

Present international initiatives also seek to establish more equitable allocation and sharing mechanisms for developing countries, of therapeutic resources, public health interventions and other broad-based support in the event of a pandemic.

To be sustainable, country preparatory efforts need to be integrated within wider national emergency preparedness frameworks and emphasise the strengthening of basic capacities in disease surveillance, outbreak response and health systems
that can respond to a range of public health emergencies.

Such capacity building represents permanent investments in health that will have enduring benefits beyond a pandemic. Preparations must also go beyond the health sector; greater promotion of intersectoral cooperation and an adoption of a whole-of-society approach to preparation is recommended.

Broad collaboration is vital in addressing the complex challenge posed by influenza to our collective security."

For more, read:

http://www.annals.edu.sg/PDF/37VolNo6Jun2008/V37N6p477.pdf

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