Anarfi Asamoa-Baah (right), Deputy Director General, and China's Margaret Chan (left), Director General of the World Health Organisation, speak during a press briefing to announce new developments on the swine influenza situation, at the World Health Organisation (WHO) headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. -- PHOTO: ASSOCIATED PRESS
GENEVA - THE World Health Organisation raised its pandemic alert for swine flu to the second highest level Wednesday, meaning that it believes a global outbreak of the disease is imminent.
Statement by WHO Director-General, Dr Margaret Chan
Ladies and gentlemen,
Based on assessment of all available information, and following several expert consultations, I have decided to raise the current level of influenza pandemic alert from phase 4 to phase 5.
WHO Director-General Margaret Chan declared the phase five alert after consulting with flu experts from around the world. She urged governments and companies to step up their activities in preparation for a full outbreak, adding that the world was better prepared than ever before to tackle an epidemic.
'All countries should immediately now activate their pandemic preparedness plans,' Dr Chan told reporters in Geneva. 'It really is all of humanity that is under threat in a pandemic.' A phase 5 alert means there is sustained transmission among people in at least two countries. Once the virus shows effective transmission in two different regions of the world, a full pandemic outbreak - or phase 6 - would be declared.
Dr Chan stopped short of recommending that vaccine manufacturers switch their production of seasonal flu vaccine to one that works against the pandemic, a process that can take 4-6 months.
'At this point in time we don't have enough evidence to push the button to make a pandemic vaccine,' she said.
The flu season is about to start in the southern hemisphere, and depriving people there of seasonal vaccine could cost unnecessary lives when it isn't clear yet how dangerous the swine flu epidemic will become, she said.
WHO's flu chief Keiji Fukuda said countries now need to ramp up their lab capacity to be able to quickly test patients suspected to have the flu, and improve disease surveillance 'Probably the single most important thing is that the populations are informed,' he added.
Countries also need to decide whether to take what he called 'social distancing' measures, which can include closing schools and delaying public meetings.
Citizens should make it their priority to stay informed, and if they fall ill with flu-like symptoms to stay at home until they feel better, Dr Fukuda said.
Dr Chan hosted a 'scientific review' of the latest outbreak information earlier Wednesday, at which some 150 experts examined how swine flu spreads, its symptoms and how it can be treated.
WHO has confirmed 114 cases of swine flu in seven countries - Mexico, the United States, Canada, Britain, Israel, New Zealand and Spain. Over half of the confirmed cases - 64 - are in the United States. Only Mexico and the US have reported deaths so far. -- AP
