15 October 2008

UN and World Bank Issue Global Progress Report on Avian Flu and Pandemic Preparedness: Specific Countries and Case Studies as Examples

On October 15th the UN System Influenza Coordinator and the World Bank posted online their 4th Global Progress Report on "Responses to Avian Influenza and State of Pandemic Readiness"

(http://un-influenza.org/files/ProgressReport2008.pdf). This 105-page pdf document discusses the latest work on the "continued threat of influenza pandemic". The next three main sections of the report include specific nations and case studies as examples to illustrate the focus of that section. For example:

Section 2:  International Financial and Technical Assistance

      "    2.2: Yemen Country Case Study

Section 3: Capacity to Reduce the Threats of Avian Influenza to Animals and Humans.

      "    3.2 Mongolia: Innovative Commitment by an At-Risk Country

      "    3.3 Lao PDR: Frontline early detection of infected backyard poultry by alert locals

      "    3.5 Indonesia: Participatory Disease Surveillance and Response: Strengthening Veterinary and Empowering Communities

      "    3.7  Egypt: Community-Based Education Campaigns---empowerment through education

      "    3.10 China: Country Case Study

Section 4: Preparedness for Mitigating the Impacts of the next Influenza Pandemic

      "    4.1 Cambodia: An example of sub-regional pandemic planning

      "    4.2 Indonesia: One of the largest full-scale pandemic influenza exercises--planning process deemed just as important as the final simulation

      "    4.6 Egypt: Country focus: Multi-Sector pandemic preparedness in Egypt

For example, in Egypt multi-sector pandemic preparedness includes (page 64, Box 4.6):

A. Strategic level: "The Higher Ministerial Committee for crisis management was established and headed by the Prime Minister with the participation of the Ministries of Defense and Military Production, Interior Affairs, Information, Foreign Affairs and Health and Population."

B. Planning and preparation level: A national pandemic inter-ministerial committee was established and headed by the Minister of Health and Population. A broadly multidisciplinary sub-committee has organized pandemic simulation exercises. A simulation exercise was held at the national level at the Ministry of Health and Population.

C. All 26 governates in Egypt have developed pandemic response and preparedness plans, under the aegis of the Information and Decision Support Centre (IDSC).

D. The private sector received pandemic guidance on preparing Business Continuity Plans, again with assistance from the ISDC.

Daniel R. Lucey, MD, MPH

EROne Institutes, Washington Hospital Center

Adjunct Professor of Microbiology and Immunology

Georgetown University Medical Center

Washington D.C.

website for this posting: www.BePast.org

E-mail: DRL23@Georgetown.edu