Stop screening for swine flu: WHO

KATHMANDU, Sept 7: Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Dr Margaret Chan advised Nepal government to stop screening passengers for Pandemic H1N1 Influenza, otherwise known as swine flu, at border checkpoints and airports as the festival season approaches, despite concerns that the virus could enter the country via the porous border with India. [break]

"It´s very hard to detect the virus and most of the infected persons don´t even show the symptoms. This virus is very fast, very infectious and borders can´t restrict it. It doesn´t need visa," Dr Chan said while addressing the media on the sidelines of the 27th Meeting of Health Ministers of WHO member states from South-East Asia and the 62nd Session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia at the Soaltee Crowne Plaza on Monday.

She said the government should rather conserve valuable resources so that infected patients can get treatment and other diseases like diarrhea can be properly tackled. "No country should close borders and stop movement of people, goods and services that can bring economy to a standstill. Some countries have already given up screening," Dr Chan added.

She also allayed fears about the probability of a deadlier outbreak of the flu in the northern hemisphere in the upcoming winter season saying that the virus has been stable so far with no significant change. "The genetic pattern of the virus in countries like Australia, Argentina and Chile of southern hemisphere is similar to that of the virus found during the first wave in Mexico in the northern hemisphere," she said.

Work on for new type of inhaleable vaccines

She said it will be difficult to produce swine flu vaccines sufficient for every person in the world but tests are underway to create a new type of inhaleable vaccine that can solve the problem of quantity.

“Tests are being done on Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine which can give six-seven vaccines from a single egg of virus unlike other types. It can be inhaled and will save syringes and also spare pain for the patients. We can make another assessment on it in the next four weeks,” she said.

She also said that the first batch of vaccines will be produced within September and provided to a few developed countries. “We will send the vaccines to developing countries once the next batch is available,” she assured adding that three different companies have pledged to donate a total of 135 million vaccines.

She further said that tests done in China and Australia have showed that one dose of injectable vaccines will work which can also address the concern of vaccine availability.

Addressing a press meet, Health Minister Umakant Chaudhary tried to pass the buck by blaming the previous government for the diarrhea outbreak in the western Nepal and also termed it an effect of climate change.

He said the health ministers of the participating 11 countries are deliberating on the issue of swine flu and impact of climate change on public health.

He also informed that the government is considering restructuring the health system to address the growing health challenges.

WHO representative to Nepal Dr Alex Andjaparidze called for proper preparedness in event of natural disasters like earthquake and flood and warned that only 25 percent of health facilities in Nepal can survive an earthquake of more than 7.2 Richter scale.

Earlier, inaugurating the meeting, Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal thanked WHO and other partners for supporting the government´s health initiatives and expressed commitment to further strengthen Nepal´s health sector. "The budget for the health sector has been increased three-fold in the last few years to around seven percent of the country´s GDP now," the PM said.

In the four-day meeting, health ministers from the member countries and other delegates will deliberate on protecting human health from climate change impacts, measles, code of practice for international recruitment of health personnel, engagement with private sector, South-East Asia Regional Health Emergency Fund, progress and challenges in polio eradication, strengthening health workforce in South-East Asia, public health innovation and intellectual property, combating counterfeit medical products, strategies to reduce harmful use of alcohol and pandemic influenza preparedness, among others, during the four-day meeting.

premdhakal@myrepublica.com