WHO draft protocol to curb pandemic

The United Nations World Health Organisation (WHO) is ready with a draft protocol for rapid response and containment of pandemic influenza.

A global meeting is proposed at Geneva in the first week of March to reach agreement on all fundamental concepts and critical procedures so that the protocol could be finalised and enforced by April-end or early May.

This is being done in view of the rapid spread of the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus which can potentially mutate into a form that can be communicated from one human being to another.

"The world is now closer to another influenza pandemic than at any time since 1968 when the last of the previous century's three pandemics began", the WHO cautions in the preliminary draft put out for discussions.

Influenza pandemics arise when a "novel" influenza emerges, infects humans and spreads amongst them. A novel human influenza virus can start as a purely avian influenza virus that mutates into human virus or as a hybrid influenza virus that contains a combination of genes derived from both an avian and a human influenza virus.

"Once this happens and the virus reaches a certain level of local or regional spread, continued worldwide spread of the virus is considered inevitable", WHO maintains.

At present, basically two strategies are being implemented by the WHO for addressing the bird flu menace and reducing the related pandemic threat.

The first strategy aims at reducing opportunities for a pandemic virus to emerge. As such it concentrate on efforts to contain outbreaks of H5N1 bird flu in poultry and prevent its spread to other areas.

The second strategy, being introduced in tandem, is to intensify the world's preparedness to cope with a pandemic, both nationally and internationally.

This involves formulation of national preparedness plans, improved access to antiviral drugs at affordable prices and development of new pandemic vaccines.

The proposed global protocol will essentially contain a third complementary strategy in which national and international planning for the rapid detecting and stopping an emerging pandemic virus.