Sally Furniss
Well-known member
BIRD FLU: MOCK PANDEMIC WILL TEST SPEED OF ASIAN RESPONSE
http://www.adnki.com/index_2Level_English.php?cat=Security&loid=8.0.399538312&par=
Manila, 28 March (AKI) - The Organization of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Japanese Government and the World Health Organization (WHO) are to take part in an exercise designed to test their ability to head off the first signs of a human influenza pandemic. The two-day exercise, known as Panstop 2007, is slated to start on April 2. The exercise will involve a mock scenario in which Tamiflu and personal protective equipment, such as goggles and masks, have to be swiftly dispatched from an ASEAN-supported stockpile in Singapore to a Southeast Asian country where there are signs of a pandemic emerging.
"The Panstop exercise will enable ASEAN Member Countries, Japan and WHO to test preparedness and coordination among all parties involved, especially with regard to the timely delivery of the Tamiflu and protective equipment from the regional stockpile in Singapore in times of an actual pandemic,? said Ong Keng Yong, the Secretary-General of ASEAN, in a statement released on Wednesday.
"For our plans to be effective, we must constantly check and review preparations so that they can be applied to the varying circumstances in each affected areas for maximum result,? he added.
On the ASEAN side, the partners will be Cambodia and the ASEAN Secretariat, as well as the Japan International Cooperation System (JICS), acting as the agent for ASEAN. On the Japanese side, the exercise will involve the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Government of Japan has provided ASEAN with a stockpile of 500 000 courses of Oseltamivir (Tamiflu), plus a large quantity of personal protective equipment.
The drill ? during which no drugs or other material will actually be moved - will be facilitated from the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific in Manila, Philippines.
Dr Shigeru Omi, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific, said: ?Containment of an influenza pandemic has never been attempted before, and we cannot be sure it will work. But this exercise will provide us with valuable insight into what needs to be done if a crisis situation should emerge.?
Recent outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) have raised concerns that a related human influenza pandemic may occur. These concerns have prompted a search for ways to prevent a pandemic through rapid response and containment strategies.
Although most attention is focused on the current situation with avian influenza (H5N1), a pandemic could be caused by a different influenza virus. Accordingly, the rapid response and containment protocol is expected to evolve as knowledge about avian influenza (H5N1) in particular and influenza, in general, is gained.
http://www.adnki.com/index_2Level_English.php?cat=Security&loid=8.0.399538312&par=
Manila, 28 March (AKI) - The Organization of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Japanese Government and the World Health Organization (WHO) are to take part in an exercise designed to test their ability to head off the first signs of a human influenza pandemic. The two-day exercise, known as Panstop 2007, is slated to start on April 2. The exercise will involve a mock scenario in which Tamiflu and personal protective equipment, such as goggles and masks, have to be swiftly dispatched from an ASEAN-supported stockpile in Singapore to a Southeast Asian country where there are signs of a pandemic emerging.
"The Panstop exercise will enable ASEAN Member Countries, Japan and WHO to test preparedness and coordination among all parties involved, especially with regard to the timely delivery of the Tamiflu and protective equipment from the regional stockpile in Singapore in times of an actual pandemic,? said Ong Keng Yong, the Secretary-General of ASEAN, in a statement released on Wednesday.
"For our plans to be effective, we must constantly check and review preparations so that they can be applied to the varying circumstances in each affected areas for maximum result,? he added.
On the ASEAN side, the partners will be Cambodia and the ASEAN Secretariat, as well as the Japan International Cooperation System (JICS), acting as the agent for ASEAN. On the Japanese side, the exercise will involve the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Government of Japan has provided ASEAN with a stockpile of 500 000 courses of Oseltamivir (Tamiflu), plus a large quantity of personal protective equipment.
The drill ? during which no drugs or other material will actually be moved - will be facilitated from the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific in Manila, Philippines.
Dr Shigeru Omi, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific, said: ?Containment of an influenza pandemic has never been attempted before, and we cannot be sure it will work. But this exercise will provide us with valuable insight into what needs to be done if a crisis situation should emerge.?
Recent outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) have raised concerns that a related human influenza pandemic may occur. These concerns have prompted a search for ways to prevent a pandemic through rapid response and containment strategies.
Although most attention is focused on the current situation with avian influenza (H5N1), a pandemic could be caused by a different influenza virus. Accordingly, the rapid response and containment protocol is expected to evolve as knowledge about avian influenza (H5N1) in particular and influenza, in general, is gained.