Suriname health minister warns against bird flu ramifications

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Suriname health minister warns against bird flu ramifications
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By Ivan Cairo
Caribbean Net News Suriname Correspondent

PARAMARIBO, Suriname: Suriname health minister Celsius Waterberg has warned against the serious ramifications a possible outbreak of bird flu could have on the economy and society in general in Suriname.

In his address Friday during a workshop on ?Bird flu and Pandemic Influenza?, the government official stressed that the poultry industry could be wiped out, while lives of numerous individuals who came in contact with infected birds will be lost.

?The economic crisis which will be the result of that, such as unemployment in several fields, the immense insecurity and fear amongst the people are issues that we have to bear in mind,? said the minister.

An outbreak of the lethal for humans H5N1 strain of the disease could put enormous stress on the country?s health system, paralyse the public sector and private companies and disrupt the production sector, Waterberg added.

Mobilisation and coordination in all sectors of the community, such as the public sector, poultry industry, hospitals, media, business sector and non-governmental organizations, is necessary collectively to draft an adequate plan of action.

According to Lieutenant-Colonel Jerry Slijngaard, head of Suriname's National Coordination Centre for Disaster Management, the authorities are on track with preparations to formulate a bird flu policy.

He further noticed that there is a growing awareness in the country over this issue.

?We hope that during this workshop a national plan of action is being crafted, which appeals to everybody. That is the only thing to ensure that we are well-prepared for any calamity,? he said.

Slijngaard further stated that the ultimate objective is to develop and establish a disaster response plan in which ?everyone knows how and where they fit in, what they have to do and who?s in charge?.

Waterberg disclosed that within a few months, the health chapter of the National Disaster Management Plan will be finalised. According to this plan, all institutes operating in the health sector should be well-prepared for any outbreak of epidemics and other disasters.

The national policy regarding bird flu and pandemic influenza is aiming at development of structures and procedures for multi-sectoral cooperation, development of a joint approach and cooperation between health institutes, while collective work plans for 2007-2008 should be in place.

During presentations at the workshop, on the basis of figures of the influenza pandemic of 1918, experts made several projections should Suriname have to deal with an outbreak.

A worst case scenario predicts 2,200 fatalities, with a peak of 400 deaths weekly, 9,000 treatments in hospitals and an economic backlash of at least US$ 6.5 millions during the first eight weeks of a bird flu outbreak in Suriname.