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update:Mar 29, 2007
Plans to avert influenza pandemic tested
The Association 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.
Panstop 2007 involves a mock scenario in which
Tamiflu and personal
protective equipment (such as goggles and masks) have to be swiftly despatched
from an ASEAN-supported stockpile in Singapore to a Southeast Asian country
where there are signs of a pandemic strain of influenza.
Partners in the operation
On the ASEAN side, partners will be ASEAN Member Country 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 two-day drill will be facilitated from the
WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific in Manila, Philippines, from 2 - 3
April.
"The Panstop exercise will enable ASEAN Member Countries, Japan, WHO and
the ASEAN Secretariat, as well as JICS, to test preparedness and coordination
among all parties involved, especially with regard to the timely delivery of the
Tamiflu courses and PPE from the regional stockpile in Singapore in times of an
actual pandemic,†said
Ong Keng Yong, the Secretary-General of ASEAN. “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.â€
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.â€
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Editor WorldPoultry
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