WHO increases pressure on China over bird flu
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《英国医生杂志》
Breaking diplomatic protocol, the World Health Organization抯 new trouble shooter for pandemic influenza, Margaret Chan, has publicly scolded China for stalling on vital cooperation over the outbreak of bird flu. She has urged authorities to share specimens promptly and give the green light for a WHO led team to visit the country.
The appeal comes as new reports of human strain cases in Indonesia of the deadly Avian A (H5N1) bird flu have heightened WHO抯 concerns about the looming threat of a global influenza pandemic.
"We are working with the government of China to impress upon them the importance of sharing these specimens and WHO would not depart from this position," Dr Chan, director for communicable disease surveillance, told reporters.
The WHO official, who is also the WHO chief抯 personal representative for pandemic influenza, argued that the organisation抯 position is that it encourages member states to work with it and share specimens with its reference laboratories.
"Understanding the evolution of the virus is very important for decision makers to make important public health decisions in terms of intervention; that is why we have always encouraged countries to share specimens," she said.
WHO has been seeking specimens from China since late April after 5000-6000 birds died in western China. Since mid-June, the organisation has been waiting for the go ahead to a request to send in an international expert team.
"I can assure you there is no lack of action on our part to continue our dialogue and discussion with the government and encourage the government to work with us and hopefully formulate a team involving experts from the Food and Agriculture Organization, World Health Organization, and the International Office of Epizootics to investigate what抯 going on."
China has reported no outbreak of human cases. But Dr Chan, formerly Hong Kong抯 director of health, who helped contain the 1997 Avian influenza outbreak in the city state, and the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003, said, "We will not give up on our efforts. We owe it to the world, because when we talk of pandemic influenza risk it is a global health security issue. To that extent, we will continue our efforts in order to help us to understand the evolution of the virus."
The situation in China, she said, "is very serious . . . and that抯 why we have not shied away from working very closely with the government to give us specimens."
In light of the recent developments in Asia, where more than 50 people have died, Dr Chan said that the world is getting warning signals and stressed, "Perhaps we are closer to the risk of a pandemic since 1968."
Two out of the three conditions for a pandemic influenza had been met, she said: a new virus has emerged, and it has jumped to the human species. The third point missing is increased and sustained human to human transmission, she noted.
"With every report it is important for us to take a very aggressive action. By that I mean we need to look for evidence whether, or not, there is widespread or sustained or human to human transmission," Dr Chan suggested.(Geneva John Zarocostas)
The appeal comes as new reports of human strain cases in Indonesia of the deadly Avian A (H5N1) bird flu have heightened WHO抯 concerns about the looming threat of a global influenza pandemic.
"We are working with the government of China to impress upon them the importance of sharing these specimens and WHO would not depart from this position," Dr Chan, director for communicable disease surveillance, told reporters.
The WHO official, who is also the WHO chief抯 personal representative for pandemic influenza, argued that the organisation抯 position is that it encourages member states to work with it and share specimens with its reference laboratories.
"Understanding the evolution of the virus is very important for decision makers to make important public health decisions in terms of intervention; that is why we have always encouraged countries to share specimens," she said.
WHO has been seeking specimens from China since late April after 5000-6000 birds died in western China. Since mid-June, the organisation has been waiting for the go ahead to a request to send in an international expert team.
"I can assure you there is no lack of action on our part to continue our dialogue and discussion with the government and encourage the government to work with us and hopefully formulate a team involving experts from the Food and Agriculture Organization, World Health Organization, and the International Office of Epizootics to investigate what抯 going on."
China has reported no outbreak of human cases. But Dr Chan, formerly Hong Kong抯 director of health, who helped contain the 1997 Avian influenza outbreak in the city state, and the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003, said, "We will not give up on our efforts. We owe it to the world, because when we talk of pandemic influenza risk it is a global health security issue. To that extent, we will continue our efforts in order to help us to understand the evolution of the virus."
The situation in China, she said, "is very serious . . . and that抯 why we have not shied away from working very closely with the government to give us specimens."
In light of the recent developments in Asia, where more than 50 people have died, Dr Chan said that the world is getting warning signals and stressed, "Perhaps we are closer to the risk of a pandemic since 1968."
Two out of the three conditions for a pandemic influenza had been met, she said: a new virus has emerged, and it has jumped to the human species. The third point missing is increased and sustained human to human transmission, she noted.
"With every report it is important for us to take a very aggressive action. By that I mean we need to look for evidence whether, or not, there is widespread or sustained or human to human transmission," Dr Chan suggested.(Geneva John Zarocostas)