WHO declares H1N1 pandemic
Posted by Kidaw on Jun 17 2009 11:25:47 AM
The World Health Organisation has declared a H1N1 pandemic, the first such annoucement in more than 40 years, as infections continue to rise around the planet.
The UN health agency said it had decided to raise the pandemic warning level from phase five to six, its highest alert, after an emergency meeting of its flu experts in Geneva on Thursday.
Since H1N1 first emerged in Mexico and the US in April, it has spread to 74 countries around the world.
The latest tally from the agency records 27,737 cases, with 141 deaths, although most cases have been mild and required no treatment.
Speaking to Al Jazeera, Dr Laurence Gerlis, an expert on infectious diseases and anti-viral drugs, said: "I think at one level it is worrying, because there were many of us that thought that after a few weeks this would all of disappeared.
"The worrying thing for Africa, the Middle East and Europe is that as we go into autumn and the winter we are going to see something quite severe."
Announcing the decision, Margaret Chan, the WHO's director-general, said: "This is a very important and challenging day for all of us.
'Second wave'
"It is important because we will be raising our pandemic alert level five to level six. At this time, the global assessment is that we are seeing a moderate pandemic.
"We are all in this together and we will all get through this together."
Chan also said countries already hit by H1N1 should prepare for a "second wave" of cases.
Michael Osterholm, a flu expert at the University of Minnesota who has advised the US government on pandemic preparations, said: "This is WHO finally catching up with the facts.''
The WHO pandemic alert had been at phase five since May 1, meaning it thought a global outbreak was imminent.
Thursday's announcement could put pressure on countries to activate their own pandemic preparedness plans if they had not already done.
This could include devoting more money to health services or imposing measures such as quarantines, school closures, travel bans and trade restrictions.
In the Philippines
MANILA, Philippines - The number of people with influenza A(H1N1) virus in the country has climbed to 147 following the government’s confirmation of 36 new cases on Sunday.
Reports of the National Epidemiology Center (NEC), an attached agency of the Department of Health (DOH), said three of the 36 new cases were foreigners.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque said they are shifting to a policy of mitigation in response to the decision of the World Health Organization to declare a global A(H1N1) pandemic.
“A policy of mitigation means that the DOH will shift focus in preparing households and health facilities to respond to the challenge posed by A (H1N1) in anticipation of more confirmed cases," Duque said in a press briefing on Saturday.
Despite the continuous increase in the number of A(H1N1) cases in the country, the Commission on Education (CHED) it would push through with the opening of classes in the tertiary level on Monday.
“Di tayo kailangan mag-panic. we are taking all precautions. Kaya umpisa na ang klase, di natin pwedeng i-postpone [We do not need to panic. We are taking all precautions, and we cannot afford to postpone classes anymore]," said CHED chairman Emmanuel Angeles.
Duque said the mitigation approach also outlines key management imperatives in the areas of activating the command system, surveillance, health facility response, public health interventions and risk communication strategies.
“I want to make it clear that mitigation will be done in phases and that it will not be applied across the nation completely and instantaneously," he said. - GMANews.TV
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