 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| . |  |
. |
Swine flu will expose global health inequality: WHO
Kathmandu (AFP) Sept 8, 2009 The global swine flu pandemic will expose the failure of the international community to invest in health protection in poor countries, the world's top health official warned here Tuesday. World Health Organisation director general Margaret Chan said the pandemic would "test the world on the issue of fairness," as she delivered an address to a meeting of Southeast Asian health ministers in Kathmandu. "I believe it will reveal in a measurable and tragic way the consequences of decades of failure to invest adequately in basic health systems and infrastructure," said Chan. "It will show what the failure to care about equity in international policy really means in life and death terms." At least 2,837 people around the world have died from the swine flu virus since it emerged in April, according to the latest WHO figures. Southeast Asia, home to many of the world's poorest people, has so far been hit relatively lightly. But Chan warned against complacency in the WHO's 11 Southeast Asian member countries -- Bangladesh, Bhutan, North Korea, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and East Timor. "I can assure you, the pandemic will come to all your countries, and this is not the same as seasonal influenza," Chan told the gathered ministers, adding the pandemic would be "with us for quite some months to come." The WHO said last month the virus had become the most prevalent flu strain. Some tropical countries were already reporting "moderate strains" on their healthcare systems amid surges in infections, the UN health agency said. Share This Article With Planet Earth
Related Links Epidemics on Earth - Bird Flu, HIV/AIDS, Ebola
Novartis lagging with swine flu vaccines: Dutch ministryThe Hague (AFP) Sept 8, 2009 The Dutch health ministry said Tuesday Swiss drugs giant Novartis was behind on swine flu vaccine orders and would deliver less than half of the first batch of 20 million doses. Novartis informed Dutch authorities last week that the first delivery, expected in late October, would not be as big as expected, the ministry said in a statement. The company had also "informed the World Health ... read more |
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2009 - SpaceDaily. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |
del.icio.us
Digg
Reddit
YahooMyWeb
Google
Facebook