Related News
Global flu alert level debated
Source: Agencies |
May 22, 2009, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
THE head of the World Health Organization said yesterday that she would not hesitate to raise the global pandemic alert to the highest level if the new H1N1 flu is determined to be spreading globally.
"When I see more signals coming from the virus itself or the spread of the disease, including severity, I would not shy away from making a very difficult decision," Margaret Chan said.
"For Phase 5 to Phase 6, I need to satisfy myself that this is a global phenomenon," she told the WHO's annual meeting in Geneva. Several flu-affected countries have been calling for new criteria for declaring the full alert.
Under current WHO rules, Chan would be required to raise the pandemic alert to 6 as soon as the newly discovered flu spreads in a sustained way in two of the world's regions, even if it continues to cause mainly mild symptoms. Although large pockets have appeared outside its North American stronghold, with infections rising quickly in Japan and clusters seen in Britain and Spain, the WHO has so far kept its alert level at 5 which means a pandemic is "imminent."
"When I see more signals coming from the virus itself or the spread of the disease, including severity, I would not shy away from making a very difficult decision," Margaret Chan said.
"For Phase 5 to Phase 6, I need to satisfy myself that this is a global phenomenon," she told the WHO's annual meeting in Geneva. Several flu-affected countries have been calling for new criteria for declaring the full alert.
Under current WHO rules, Chan would be required to raise the pandemic alert to 6 as soon as the newly discovered flu spreads in a sustained way in two of the world's regions, even if it continues to cause mainly mild symptoms. Although large pockets have appeared outside its North American stronghold, with infections rising quickly in Japan and clusters seen in Britain and Spain, the WHO has so far kept its alert level at 5 which means a pandemic is "imminent."
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
