Avian Influenza Protection Measures Endorsed by APEC Senior Officials
An APEC Symposium has called on APEC Member Economies to consider specific recommendations to minimize the health and economic consequences of a potential human influenza pandemic.
These measures include improving information sharing between economies and fostering greater cooperation with the business sector to deal with potential threats. Other recommendations included responding to the Global Strategy for the Progressive Control of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, encouraging adequate compensation for farmers with potentially infected birds and animals and basing disease-related trade restrictions on recommendations of international organizations.
The recommendations were prepared by the APEC Health Task Force 'Symposium on Response to Outbreaks of Avian Influenza and Preparedness for a Human Health Emergency' that was held recently in San Francisco.
The report was presented to APEC Senior Officials meeting yesterday in Gyeongju, Korea, by Dr. Amar Bhat, the Chair of the APEC Health Task Force. Dr Bhat said the recommendations were well received by Senior Officials who acknowledged the seriousness of the potential threat posed by avian influenza.
"If an avian influenza strain was to develop into a human influenza strain that could be efficiently transmitted between humans the potential damage caused by a resulting human influenza pandemic would be enormous," Dr. Bhat said after the meeting.
"Conservative estimates suggest that predictions of what would be described as an average pandemic could result in around over 5 million hospital admissions and possibly 7 million deaths.
"The social and economic implications of an avian influenza pandemic are staggering and would touch people in all corners of the world," Dr. Bhat continued, "The Health Task Force is committed to working with APEC officials to ensure that the region is prepared for such an eventuality."
The symposium was convened in San Francisco, on 28-29 July and called for APEC member economies to play a strong leadership role to avoid a human influenza pandemic by focusing on prevention through preparedness and then having a response plan ready in case there is an outbreak.
Attendees included health care professionals, veterinary scientists and representatives of Member Economies, other affected Asian economies and international organizations. The recommendations that are available for download.