WHO to revamp system for sharing flu virus

[Laidback Al]

WHO to revamp system for sharing flu virus
<!-- END HEADLINE -->
<!-- BEGIN STORY BODY -->By Stephanie Nebehay

GENEVA (Reuters) - The <FORM class=yqin style="Z-INDEX: 1001" action=http://yq.search.yahoo.com/search method=post></FORM>World Health Organization on Tuesday agreed to demands from Indonesia and other developing countries to revamp its 50-year-old system for sharing influenza virus samples which are used to develop commercial vaccines.
It agreed to set up a working group to revise the "terms of reference" for WHO laboratories which analyze samples -- including deadly H5N1 bird flu -- and draw up rules for sharing them with third parties such as researchers and drug companies.
Sharing samples is deemed vital to see if viruses have mutated, become drug resistant or grown more transmissible.
"We are here to listen to our member states' wishes. They've set up a mechanism now to develop the best ways we can work now on virus sharing and sharing in the benefits," David Heymann, WHO's top bird flu official, told Reuters.
The WHO, a U.N. agency, will also work to ensure "fair and equitable distribution" of pandemic influenza vaccines at affordable prices, according to the agreed resolution.
In the meantime, countries are expected to continue "timely sharing" of virus samples with the WHO's labs to help track the virus and assess the risk of an influenza pandemic.
The consensus text, approved by a committee of the annual World Health Assembly, came after arduous negotiations. It is expected to be formally adopted by all 193 member states at the end of the 10-day session on Wednesday.
Viroj Tangcharoensathien of Thailand, who chaired the negotiations, said there had been "technical and political complexities" but a "spirit of compromise" had prevailed.
"Trust has now gradually been regained in the work of the WHO's Global Influenza Surveillance Network, which is the backbone of influenza containment," he told the Geneva talks.
"It is now 50-years-old and needs to grow up further and bear fruits for all member states."
VACCINES
Developing countries led by Indonesian Health Minister Siti Fadillah Supari last week demanded a fair share of commercial vaccines derived from H5N1 samples they provide.
"We seek the way how the current mechanism could be improved so as to ensure fair and equitable sharing of benefits, especially to developing countries, as well to achieve our common ultimate goal -- global health security," Widjaja Lukito, an adviser to Supari, told the talks on Tuesday.
Indonesia and other developing countries stood "ready to participate constructively," he said.
The bird flu virus has killed more than 185 people, mainly in southeast Asia, since it re-emerged in 2003. Although it remains mainly an animal disease, scientists fear that if it mutates into a disease easily spread amongst people, it could kill millions.
Supari last week announced that Indonesia -- which has the highest toll of 76 deaths -- had resumed sharing samples with WHO after a five-month hiatus.
But since resuming cooperation, Jakarta only sent three samples to a WHO collaborating centre in Japan, while nearly a dozen samples from confirmed bird flu cases are still outstanding, senior WHO officials say.
The resolution sets a year-long timeline starting with a working group, an October meeting of an inter-governmental group and a final decision at next year's World Health Assembly.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070522/hl_nm/birdflu_un_vaccines_dc;_ylt=AgZoheJH0adkYY.U2l31n04E1vAI

[Theresa42]

Re: WHO to revamp system for sharing flu virus

The resolution sets a year-long timeline starting with a working group, an October meeting of an inter-governmental group and a final decision at next year's World Health Assembly.

A few more discussions down the road, eh...? *sigh*

[Theresa42]

Re: WHO to revamp system for sharing flu virus

From the Indonesians. Hat-tip, bgw in MT!

toggletext-ed from Indonesian:

Partly the Indonesian proposal of the Bird Flu resolution was agreed to by WHA
May 22, 2007

Jakarta - RoL -- Some the draft the resolution proposal about the mechanism of the distribution and the sending of the sample of the bird flu virus that was put forward by the Indonesian government has been agreed to by participants in the session of the Kesehatan Council of the World (World Health Assembly/WHA).

"There was the progress. There was the draft that has been agreed to," said Director Jendral Pengendalian of the Illness and Lingkungan Departemen Sanitation of the I Nyoman Kandun Health that attended the WHA session of the 60 in Geneva (Swiss) when being contacted by Antara from Jakarta, on Tuesday.

The draft was entitled "Pandemic Influenza Preparedness: Sharing of influenza of Viruses and Access to Vaccines and Other Benefits", according to Kandun, will be refined again permanently referred in the Jakarta Declaration et cetera will be sent in the plenary session on Wednesday (23/5).

"Seen by us tomorrow results finally like what," said Kandun that attended this session with Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari since May 16 lalu. He added also that in this case Delegation of Tetap Republic Of Indonesia (PTRI) in Geneva really played a role towards the achievement of this success. Beforehand, Kandun said that discussions the proposal of the bird flu resolution that was put forward by the Indonesian government took place difficult and only 22 countries that stated the writing support for this resolution proposal on the day the two sessions.

Nevertheless the government continued to try to strengthen the support from 193 member countries of the Organisation of the Health of the World (the World Health Organization/WHO) that followed this session to be able to meloloskan {meloloskan 1 slip off s.t. 2 realease (s.o., a secret, etc.). 3 allow s.t. to get through or out.} the resolution proposal about the mechanism of the distribution and the sending of the sample of the bird flu virus.

In order to strengthens more supports from participants's country WHA, the Health Minister explained the background of the submission of the resolution plan that was aimed to bring about the formation of the new WHO provisions that were more just and beneficial of all the sides.

He explained, since the case of bird flu was to humankind found in Indonesia in July 2005, in accordance with the WHO suggestion and with the awareness would the importance of the deep study towards the bird flu virus, the government sent the virus specimen of H5N1 strain Indonesia to the Pusat Laboratory of the WHO. The sending, according to him, was carried out in accordance with the document tranfer material that in line with the WHO Escort for the Exchange of the Influenza Virus in 2005.

On August 8 2006, he continued, Indonesia also opened data access genomik Indonesian bird flu to the world community. However in the press statement that was sent through the Centre of Publik Departemen Communication of the Health, he regretted in practice WHO inconsistent in carrying out the exchange of the virus in accordance with the rule that was determined by him.

He said, the virus, the genetic sequence and part of the virus sequence H5N1 from Indonesia and from countries that terjangkit bird flu that was given to WHO evidently was used by the third party in the form of the presentation, the publication, the commercialisation and the production of the patent, without having the notification anything to the country of the specimen giver bervirus H5N1.

In fact, according to him, the virus and genetic material that his ownership was determined by the Persatuan Convention of nations (the UN) about Biodiversity (Biological Diversity) should all that was bartered by weighing the privilege of a country towards genetic resources that were owned by him.

Other injustice that was felt, he said, was countries that terjangkit bird flu not only suffered because his people died resulting from bird flu but also must face the difficulty of accessing medicine and the bird flu vaccine.

Developing countries that became the place penjangkitan bird flu, according to him, must queue to receive medicine antivirus that was recommended for the handling of bird flu (Tamiflu) that his price was expensive enough.

Moreover, he said, the virus that was given by them willingly for nothing afterwards was used by the perpetrators of the pharmacy industry in developed countries to develop the vaccine that eventually will be sold to the country developed the expensive price. The condition, said Siti Fadilah, could not be allowed and because that the Indonesian government put forward the proposal in the mechanism of the exchange of the bird flu virus of the plan of the change resolution to WHO.

This plan, that was made be based on the Jakarta Declaration, contained the new mechanism proposal that enabled the developing country to have the capacity to access the data, researched and produced the medicine as well as the bird flu vaccine. [Is "this plan" the deal struck by the WHO mentioned in the above posts? Or is it just referring back to the Indonesian's proposal? Not clear to me what, exactly, they're talking about here.]

WHA was hoped for mengakomodir the interests of developing countries that became the place penjangkitan bird flu by putting the proposal as part of the resolution and if possibly part of the Kesehatan Internasional Regulation (International Health Regulation/IHR), that will begin to be put into effect this coming June.

http://www.republika.co.id/online_detail.asp?id=294026&kat_id=23

[Theresa42]

Re: WHO to revamp system for sharing flu virus

toggletext-ed from Indonesian:

The resolution of Flu Burung Indonesia Diterima WHA
Jakarta, May 23 2007

Negara Anggota of the Organisation of the Health of the World (the World Health Organization/WHO) that followed the session of the Kesehatan Council of the World (World Health Assembly/WHA) in Geneva, Swiss, by acclamation accepted the resolution proposal about the mechanism of the distribution and the sending (sharing) the sample of the bird flu virus that was put forward by Indonesia.

"Almost 100 percent proposed that was put forward was accepted by acclamation," said Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari from Geneva, to Antara in Jakarta, on Wednesday (23/5).

He said, proposed that was made by referring in this Jakarta Declaration was sent and consolidated in the meeting of the Eksekutif WHO Council on May 23 2007. Further will become part of the WHA resolution that tied all the members WHO.

"So automatic the next one will become part of the binding international health regulation of all the members," said Siti Fadilah, that since last May 16 attended the WHA session that was followed by 193 WHO member countries.

Therefore, the member the Eksekutif WHO Council added, furthermore the country lacked and developed that became the area jangkitan bird flu will it was guaranteed have access equality against the vaccine and medicine from the illness that was caused by the A infection of the virus of type influenza the sub-type H5N1.

Not berpihak

The Health Minister beforehand explained this resolution proposal was put forward in order to brings about the formation of the mechanism of the exchange of the biological specimen just that was more just, because the WHO provisions concerning the distribution and the sending of the virus specimen that has been current since the last 50 years did not take sides with the interests of the poor and developing country.

He had given an example, since the case of bird flu was to humankind found in Indonesia in July 2005, in accordance with the WHO suggestion and with the awareness would the importance of the deep study towards the bird flu virus, then the government sent the virus specimen of H5N1 strain Indonesia to the Pusat Laboratory of WHO Collaboration.

However, he said, in practice WHO inconsistent in carrying out the exchange of the virus in accordance with the rule that was determined by him.

The virus, the genetic sequence and part of the virus sequence H5N1 from Indonesia and from countries that terjangkit bird flu that was given to WHO, he said, evidently was used by the third party in the form of the presentation, the publication, the commercialisation and the production of the patent, without having some sort notifications to the country of the specimen giver bervirus H5N1.

As a result, according to him, countries jangkitan only did not suffer because his people died resulting from bird flu but also must face the difficulty of accessing medicine and the bird flu vaccine that his price was expensive.

In fact, according to him, the virus and genetic material that his ownership was determined by the Persatuan Convention of nations (the UN) about Biodiversity (Biological Diversity) that should all was bartered by weighing the privilege of a country towards genetic resources that were owned by him.

The condition, said Siti Fadilah, very damaging the developing country so as the Indonesian government afterwards put forward the proposal in the mechanism of the exchange of the bird flu virus of the plan of the change resolution to WHO.

The mechanism plan of the distribution of this biological specimen in part contained the new mechanism that enabled the developing country to have the capacity to access the data, researched and produced the medicine as well as the bird flu vaccine.

Each country that distributed information, the data and the specimen of the bird flu virus also it was proposed got the profit on the sample that was given by them as well as memeroleh the support in order to carries out the development and the production of the vaccine and medicine influenza was increased by local.

http://www.gatra.com/2007-05-23/versi_cetak.php?id=104785