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27/01/2004
Assistance needed to fight bird flu's 'global threat'
The international community must offer swift assistance if the "global threat" posed by so-called 'bird flu' is to be contained, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a joint statement today.
The global community has been urged to help as culling compensation for farmers, protection for workers, vaccinations and containment strategies will represent a huge cost for countries in the areas - economies which cannot shoulder the burden alone.
The spread of so-called 'bird flu' in Asian countries now poses a serious "threat" to human health and could lead to a "disaster for agricultural production", the agencies said. And so, funding and technical assistance is urgently needed if the countries affected are to help eliminate the threat.
The FAO, OIE and WHO warned that bird flu – or highly pathogenic avian influenza – could possibly evolve into an "efficient and dangerous human pathogen", and could spread through the food chain into exports.
“With Sars, we learned that only by working together can we control emerging global public health threats," said Dr Lee Jong-wook, WHO Director-General said.
“Now, we confront another threat to human health and we must reaffirm existing collaboration and form new ones. At the international level, WHO, FAO and OIE stand together in close working relationship to provide the necessary guidance to Member States.”
'Bird flu' presents particular danger because, if it circulates long enough in humans and farm animals, it may evolve into a "pandemic influenza strain" which could cause disease worldwide. In addition, avian influenza is an economic disaster for the poultry industry as well as small poultry farmers, the agencies said.
“This is a serious global threat to human health,” said Dr Lee Jong-wook said.
“But we have faced several emerging infectious diseases in the past. This time, we face something we can possibly control before it reaches global proportions if we work cooperatively and share needed resources. We must begin this hard, costly work now.”
(gmcg)
The global community has been urged to help as culling compensation for farmers, protection for workers, vaccinations and containment strategies will represent a huge cost for countries in the areas - economies which cannot shoulder the burden alone.
The spread of so-called 'bird flu' in Asian countries now poses a serious "threat" to human health and could lead to a "disaster for agricultural production", the agencies said. And so, funding and technical assistance is urgently needed if the countries affected are to help eliminate the threat.
The FAO, OIE and WHO warned that bird flu – or highly pathogenic avian influenza – could possibly evolve into an "efficient and dangerous human pathogen", and could spread through the food chain into exports.
“With Sars, we learned that only by working together can we control emerging global public health threats," said Dr Lee Jong-wook, WHO Director-General said.
“Now, we confront another threat to human health and we must reaffirm existing collaboration and form new ones. At the international level, WHO, FAO and OIE stand together in close working relationship to provide the necessary guidance to Member States.”
'Bird flu' presents particular danger because, if it circulates long enough in humans and farm animals, it may evolve into a "pandemic influenza strain" which could cause disease worldwide. In addition, avian influenza is an economic disaster for the poultry industry as well as small poultry farmers, the agencies said.
“This is a serious global threat to human health,” said Dr Lee Jong-wook said.
“But we have faced several emerging infectious diseases in the past. This time, we face something we can possibly control before it reaches global proportions if we work cooperatively and share needed resources. We must begin this hard, costly work now.”
(gmcg)
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