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All nations urged to prepare for avian pandemic by Annan
Jan 19, 2006, 15:23, Reviewed by: Dr. Priya Saxena
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Annan said he had asked the UN bodies to be ready "so that we can sustain vital support" in the event of a pandemic.
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By IANS,
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan Wednesday warned all governments to prepare for a possible avian influenza pandemic, saying he had asked all UN agencies to make similar preparations.
Annan said he had asked the UN bodies to be ready "so that we can sustain vital support" in the event of a pandemic.
"I encourage all governments to do the same," he said in a speech broadcast to a donors' conference being held in Beijing that aims to secure funding to help poor countries cope with the economic impact of bird flu.
"There is no time to waste, let's ensure that we are ready," Annan told the conference, which he said was held at a "crucial time" in the fight against bird flu.
World Health Organization (WHO) experts have warned that the H5N1 bird flu virus could mutate into a form that spreads rapidly among humans.
China, the European Union, the World Bank and other organisers said they hope to see pledges of financial aid totalling more than $1 billion at the conference.
"Today action will speak louder than words," EU Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner Markos Kyprianou said.
Kyprianou said the pledges of donations were "not just charity...but a global self-defence against bird flu," adding that the virus presented a "new challenge to humanity."
"We don't know when this pandemic will take place, but that is no reason for not preparing for it," he said. "The avian influenza threat is not going to go away soon."
WHO Director-General Lee Jong-Wook said the WHO had developed a strategy for improving monitoring and control of bird flu over the next two years.
"Each new case and each new outbreak is a chance to fine-tune the approach," Lee said. "We have to reduce people's exposure to the virus."
The World Bank will provide $500 million in "global adaptable programme loans" for fighting bird flu, World Bank president Paul Wolfowitz said in a speech at the conference.
The bank estimates that at least $1.2 billion to $1.4 billion will be needed over the next three years to combat bird flu.
"It is still a small sum compared with the damage that could be done if we fail to prevent the spread of the disease," Wolfowitz said. "International financing will be critical."
Before the conference, the European Union pledged 80 million euros ($97 million) to help poor countries with the impact of the virus.
Premier Wen Jiabao Wednesday told the conference that China would donate $10 million.
The conference organisers plan to issue a Beijing Declaration later Wednesday, urging "coordinated, rapid and decisive action" to guard against the "real possibility" of a human influenza pandemic that could "potentially kill millions" of people.
Worldwide, 80 people have died from H5N1, according to WHO. At least five were in China and the rest were in Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia and Turkey. 
- Indo-Asian News Service
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