Progress ReportGlobal Pandemic Preparedness

Beijing Conference17-18 January 2006

Dr Margaret ChanAssistant Director-GeneralCommunicable Diseases

Representative of the Director-General for Pandemic Influenza

The World Health Organization

Where we stand todayWhere we stand today

Current phase 3 of pandemic alert remains unchanged

H5N1 is still mainly an animal disease; no sustained human-to-human transmission.

Sporadic cases in 6 countries; in 2006, cases reported in Turkey, China and Indonesia.

WHO team in Turkey, good data from outbreak.

Progress Since Geneva Meeting (1)Progress Since Geneva Meeting (1)

Meeting on pandemic communications, 6-8 December. RESULT: global support networks and strategic working groups established

GOARN partners meeting in Singapore, 8-9 December. RESULT: increased regional collaboration in Asia Pacific region.

Informal meeting on use of WHO antiviral stockpile, 12 December. RESULT: agreement on principles of operational protocol, SOP; follow-up meeting on rapid containment, Tokyo 12-13 January.

Report for January EB on voluntary compliance with relevant provisions of IHR. RESULT: draft resolution

WHO Strategic Action Plan January 2006. RESULT: 2-year plan.

Progress Since Geneva Meeting (2)Progress Since Geneva Meeting (2)

Task forces in place at HQ, Regional Offices (RO); ROs have conducted inter-country meetings, geared up support to countries. RESULT: almost all countries have preparedness plans.

Immediate regional and HQ support to countries with diagnosis, management, investigation of new cases. RESULT: constantly improving knowledge about the virus and pandemic risk, improved country capacity, better surveillance and detection.

Regional needs for antiviral drugs assessed. Negotiations with manufacturer, generic manufacturing to start. RESULT: more drugs.

Three meetings on pandemic vaccines first half 2006. EXPECTED RESULT: global action plan to increase access; easier exportation.

Next StepsNext Steps

5 Strategic actions for the next 2 years Goal

Reduce human exposure to the H5N1 virus Reduce opportunities for human infection, thus reducing opportunities for pandemic virus to emerge.

Strengthen early warning system Ensure that all data and specimens needed for risk assessment are available.

Intensify rapid response and containment operations

Prevent the virus from improving its transmissibility or delay pandemic spread.

Build capacity to cope with a pandemic Response plans in all countries (rehearsed); WHO fully able to perform leadership role.

Coordinate global scientific research and development

Make vaccines and drugs quickly and widely available; understand evolving pandemic.