60th World Health Assembly puts avian influenza high on the agenda.

Indonesia’s recent withholding of virus samples has forced the issue of avian flu to be high on the agenda for the WHO’s ten day session (14^th – 23^rd May). Similarly, Taiwan’s request for UN membership has recently prompted many to comment upon the quandary of when political rifts impact negatively on matters of international health. Pro-Taiwan media highlights China’s block to Taiwan’s UN membership as responsible for preventing access to WHO medical supplies during a vial epidemic in 1998, and causing a delay in WHO’s response to a SARS outbreak in 2003.

For more on WHO & Indonesia: http://www.france24.com/france24Public/en/news/science/20070514-health-WHO-bird-flu-africa.html

For more on WHO & Taiwan: http://www.worldpress.org/Asia/2786.cfm

http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/editorials/hc-taiwan.artmay14,0,7336992.story?coll=hc-headlines-editorials