U.S. Officials Participate in WHO Meeting on Avian and Pandemic InfluenzaNovember 9, 2005 - The World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Organization for Animal Health, and the World Bank held a global meeting in Geneva to build consensus on shared responsibilities and an approach to avian influenza and human pandemic influenza. Over 600 delegates attended from more than 100 countries: government officials, experts on animal health, human health, and the environment and economics. The program centered on both the short-term and long-term problems in controlling avian flu and preparing for a pandemic. HHS Assistant Secretary for Public Health Emergency Preparedness Stewart Simonson and Dr. Bruce Gellin of the National Vaccine Policy Program Office addressed the meeting to stress the need for a national, regional and global approach. They announced that in the last few weeks both the U.S. National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza and the HHS Pandemic Influenza Plan have been released and are available at http://www.pandemicflu.gov/. Simonson urged that a group of experts draft a plan to close gaps in influenza surveillance and define a protocol for rapid response in time for consideration by the next meeting of the Executive Board of the World Health Organization, in January 2006. Dr. Gellin's speech had an emphasis on international cooperation on vaccine production and stockpiles of essential supplies, including antiviral drugs. Throughout these speeches and plans, it is agreed that sustained human-to-human transmission anywhere in the world will be the triggering event to initiate a pandemic response by the U.S. government along with international parners. Statements by U.S. Officials at the meeting:
Last revised: October 15, 2007 | 
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