The Irish Medical Times says the Government’s response to a flu pandemic must ensure the open flow of information about the pandemic to the public, according to two documents published this week.
The Department of Health and the Health Service Executive (HSE) published the National Pandemic Influenza Plan as well a draft of an advisory document by the Pandemic Influenza Expert Group. A final draft of the group’s advice is expected in April.
The purpose of the National Pandemic Influenza Plan is to limit the effects of any pandemic and to inform the public about pandemic influenza; explain what the Government and the health services are doing to prepare for a possible pandemic; and to give information on what members of the public need to do if there is a pandemic. HSE CEO Prof Brendan Drumm said all sectors of society have a role to play in preparedness and response.
“If a pandemic arises each of us have a role to play in ensuring that it is managed,” he said. The pandemic plan is based on eight core elements of response. These are communications strategy, telephone hotline, public responsibilities, surveillance, antiviral drugs, pandemic vaccine, reorganization of health services, and essential supplies.
For additional information on Pandemic preparedness from a business continuity perspective, please feel free to contact Pitsel & Associates Ltd. Calgary, Alberta, (403) 245-0550. “The time to plan is when you have time to plan.”
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Bird flu spreading again in Asia
Reuters reported an Indonesian hospital was on Monday overwhelmed with patients suffering bird flu symptoms while the virus spread further among flocks in Vietnam and flared anew in Thailand.
A recent spurt of human infections with the H5N1 bird flu virus, which re-emerged in Asia in late 2003, has alarmed health officials. Four Indonesians have died this year after a six-week lull in cases, taking the number of people killed by bird flu in the country to 61, the highest in the world.
Source:
Msnbc (2006). Bird flu spreading again in Asia (Electronic version). Retrieved January 16, 2006 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16635479/
For additional information on Pandemic preparedness from a business continuity perspective, please feel free to contact Pitsel & Associates Ltd. Calgary, Alberta, (403) 245-0550. “The time to plan is when you have time to plan.”
A recent spurt of human infections with the H5N1 bird flu virus, which re-emerged in Asia in late 2003, has alarmed health officials. Four Indonesians have died this year after a six-week lull in cases, taking the number of people killed by bird flu in the country to 61, the highest in the world.
Source:
Msnbc (2006). Bird flu spreading again in Asia (Electronic version). Retrieved January 16, 2006 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16635479/
For additional information on Pandemic preparedness from a business continuity perspective, please feel free to contact Pitsel & Associates Ltd. Calgary, Alberta, (403) 245-0550. “The time to plan is when you have time to plan.”
Friday, January 12, 2007
“Complacency is our biggest enemy” - new head of WHO
Helen Branswell from the Canadian Press says the new head of the World Health organization that took office on Thursday, warns that complacency endangers efforts to prepare for the avian flu.
Dr. Margaret Chan, 59, holds Chinese and Canadian citizenship and received her medical degree from the University of Western Ontario. She was nominated by China for the WHO’s top job. Before taking up the director general position, she served as head of the WHO’s pandemic preparations.
In response to the threat that the H5N1 virus may trigger flu pandemic, she says “...we need to have a balanced view. One should not take the alarmist approach and on the other hand, complacency is our biggest enemy.”
Branswell notes that the sense of a pandemic alert has somewhat subsided in many quarters, because of the decrease in human infections during the past few months. Chan however, says this should be kept in perspective. Chan further reminds us that South Korea and Vietnam are still fighting outbreaks of the virus in poultry. Even though Vietnam had gone more than a year without an outbreak, they suddenly saw the virus flare up again in poultry late last year.
And just before Christmas, three people in Egypt died after contracting the virus. Branswell reports WHO statistics, which points out that 261 people, have been affected since 2003 and 157 of them have died.
During a telephone news conference in Geneva, Chan is reported to say, “We learned from past experience it goes into cycles. There would be periods of high H5N1or low activity". As we are moving into the peak season of influenza again, she advises health authorities to be vigilant.
For additional information on Pandemic preparedness from a business continuity perspective, please feel free to contact Pitsel & Associates Ltd. Calgary, Alberta, (403) 245-0550. “The time to plan is when you have time to plan.”
Helen Branswell from the Canadian Press says the new head of the World Health organization that took office on Thursday, warns that complacency endangers efforts to prepare for the avian flu.
Dr. Margaret Chan, 59, holds Chinese and Canadian citizenship and received her medical degree from the University of Western Ontario. She was nominated by China for the WHO’s top job. Before taking up the director general position, she served as head of the WHO’s pandemic preparations.
In response to the threat that the H5N1 virus may trigger flu pandemic, she says “...we need to have a balanced view. One should not take the alarmist approach and on the other hand, complacency is our biggest enemy.”
Branswell notes that the sense of a pandemic alert has somewhat subsided in many quarters, because of the decrease in human infections during the past few months. Chan however, says this should be kept in perspective. Chan further reminds us that South Korea and Vietnam are still fighting outbreaks of the virus in poultry. Even though Vietnam had gone more than a year without an outbreak, they suddenly saw the virus flare up again in poultry late last year.
And just before Christmas, three people in Egypt died after contracting the virus. Branswell reports WHO statistics, which points out that 261 people, have been affected since 2003 and 157 of them have died.
During a telephone news conference in Geneva, Chan is reported to say, “We learned from past experience it goes into cycles. There would be periods of high H5N1or low activity". As we are moving into the peak season of influenza again, she advises health authorities to be vigilant.
For additional information on Pandemic preparedness from a business continuity perspective, please feel free to contact Pitsel & Associates Ltd. Calgary, Alberta, (403) 245-0550. “The time to plan is when you have time to plan.”
Friday, January 5, 2007
Avian flu jumps to humans in Egypt
According to Donald G. McNeil who wrote an article in the International Herald Tribune (Africa & Middle East), several cases of avian flu have spread from poultry to humans in the Nile Delta.
Egyptian health authorities reported nine confirmed human deaths from H5N1 since it was first discovered in birds during February and in a person in March, 2006.
McNeil points out that the health and veterinary authorities cancelled duck hunting season, banned imports of live birds and did not allow anyone to keep birds in their homes. Diseased flock were culled and healthy ones, vaccinated. This task didn’t go well without problems. Not only were there were vaccine shortages, but poor rural people disregarded the newly implemented regulations and hid birds under their beds, as they could not afford to loose their livestock.
An Egyptian newspaper, The Daily Star reported an estimated slaughter of 30 million birds mostly from the poultry industry. Although reports of the disease tapered of during the summer, new cases were reported during the month of September when the bird migration stopped over in the delta area. McNeil says local news media reports suggest that there have been about 20 suspected human cases in the northern part of Egypt.
For more information on Pandemic planning from a business continuity perspective, please feel free to contact Pitsel & Associates Ltd. Calgary, Alberta (403) 245-0550. “The time to plan is when you have time to plan.”
Egyptian health authorities reported nine confirmed human deaths from H5N1 since it was first discovered in birds during February and in a person in March, 2006.
McNeil points out that the health and veterinary authorities cancelled duck hunting season, banned imports of live birds and did not allow anyone to keep birds in their homes. Diseased flock were culled and healthy ones, vaccinated. This task didn’t go well without problems. Not only were there were vaccine shortages, but poor rural people disregarded the newly implemented regulations and hid birds under their beds, as they could not afford to loose their livestock.
An Egyptian newspaper, The Daily Star reported an estimated slaughter of 30 million birds mostly from the poultry industry. Although reports of the disease tapered of during the summer, new cases were reported during the month of September when the bird migration stopped over in the delta area. McNeil says local news media reports suggest that there have been about 20 suspected human cases in the northern part of Egypt.
For more information on Pandemic planning from a business continuity perspective, please feel free to contact Pitsel & Associates Ltd. Calgary, Alberta (403) 245-0550. “The time to plan is when you have time to plan.”
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