# 2391
The WHO (World Health Organization) has released its fourth annual progress report on the battle against avian influenza, prepared through the offices of Dr. David Nabarro (UNSIC) in concert with the World Bank.
Entitled:
Summaries are available in the six UN languages:
Arabic
Chinese
English
French
Russian
Spanish
The UN website describes this 105 page document this way:
The United Nations System Influenza Coordinator (UNSIC) and the World Bank agreed to produce this a Fourth Global Progress Report on Responses to Avian Influenza and State of Pandemic Readiness in response to requests from participants at the New Delhi International Ministerial Conference on Avian and Pandemic Influenza which took place during December 2007.
The report focuses on progress with responses to avian influenza and with pandemic preparedness between June 2007 and June 2008. Where data allow, the report looks back over the last three years.
It also i) describes international financial assistance provided to date; ii) assesses national capacities to respond to HPAI and prepare for the next influenza pandemic; iii) analyzes implications of this progress for animal and human health and iv) recommends some key next steps.
Both the full report and this synopsis are being made available to delegates at the International Ministerial Conference on Avian and Pandemic Influenza in Sharm El-Sheik, Egypt in October 2008.
An excerpt from the Executive Summary tells us that while much progress has been made in the global battle against the H5N1 virus, that we remain vulnerable to seeing an influenza pandemic.
(Re-paragraphed for readability - bolding mine)
A global analysis of the situation now in mid to late 2008 indicates fewer outbreaks in poultry, fewer newly infected countries, fewer human cases and fewer deaths compared to the same period in 2006 and 2007. Over 50 of the 61 countries that have experience an H5N1 outbreak, have successfully eliminated the disease.
However, the virus remains entrenched in several countries and the threat of further outbreaks of HPAI in poultry (and sporadic cases in humans) persists. The threat of an influenza pandemic remains unchanged. While these findings suggest that HPAI strategies are successful when properly implemented, they also highlight that sustained vigilance and continued investment is needed in both surveillance and capacity to respond to HPAI.
Significant progress has been made during the last year, and there is now near global awareness of the issue and the need to enable nations and communities to prevent, prepare and be able to respond to HPAI and pandemic influenza.
Surveillance capacities have improved significantly over the past 3 years and there is now greater awareness and more incentives for reporting. Significant efforts are still needed in biosecurity and fundamental behavior change by poultry owners/ producers remains a long term objective.
There is still the need for high political commitment to improve and invest in animal and public health systems. Many countries have made substantial progress for their national pandemic preparedness; in some regions sophisticated advancements continue to be made in deepening and developing preparations.
However, many of the plans have not yet been fully endorsed or made operational – in particular at the local level and preparations in sectors beyond health need to be strengthened. Whilst the threat remains, it can be concluded that the world is significantly better prepared to respond to HPAI and to mitigate the impacts of the next influenza pandemic.
Need remains for continued advocacy, support and monitoring of preparations to ensure the capacity to respond to the threat of HPAI (and in many cases other zoonosis) is strengthened and made sustainable.
In addition, it is essential to review, adapt and update pandemic preparations which will not only be of benefit in the event of pandemic but for the general resilience of a country against other emergencies.
