GENEVA, June 11 (Xinhua) -- The World Health
Organization (WHO) on Thursday raised its pandemic alert to the highest level of
six, formally declaring that the widely spreading A/H1N1 influenza has developed
into a global pandemic.
"On the basis of available evidence, the scientific
criteria for an influenza pandemic have been met. I have therefore decided to
raise the level of pandemic alert from phase 5 to phase 6, the world is now at
the start of the 2009 pandemic," WHO Director-general Margaret Chan told a news
briefing in Geneva.
World Health Organization (WHO)
Director-General Dr Margaret Chan delares in Geneva that WHO has decided
to raise the current A/H1N1 flu alert to its highest level of six on
Thursday (Xinhua/AFP Photo) Photo Gallery>>>
Chan made the announcement following consultations
with leading influenza experts around the world through a teleconference, and
amid signs that community-level transmission of the new H1N1 flu virus has
occurred in a number of countries outside of North America, including Australia,
Chile, Britain, Spain and Japan.
Chan stressed, however, that governments and the
public should have a right understanding of the word "pandemic," which mainly
reflects the geographic spread of the virus, instead of the severity of the
disease it has caused.
World Health Organization (WHO)
Director-General Dr Margaret Chan(front) delares in Geneva that WHO has
decided to raise the current A/H1N1 flu alert to its highest level of six
on Thursday (Xinhua/AFP Photo) Photo Gallery>>>
"We want to make the clarity that the higher alert
level of the pandemic does not necessarily mean that we are going to see a more
dangerous virus, or many more people falling severely ill or dying," she said.
She said current assessments made by experts suggest
that the first pandemic in the 21st century should be a moderate one in terms of
severity.
"On present evidence, the overwhelming majority of
patients experience mild symptoms and make a rapid and full recovery, often in
the absence of any form of medical treatment," she said.
She added that the current number of deaths is small
worldwide. The world should be braced to see more deaths from the disease but
"we do not expect to see a sudden and dramatic jump in the number of severe or
fatal infections."
The WHO chief warned, however, that countries should
keep their vigilance and avoid "complacency" because of the uncertainty of the
disease situation.
"The tendency to move into complacency is of great
concern to the WHO, because we need to continue to monitor this disease, follow
its track and ... not allow it to come back in the second wave to give us more
trouble," she told reporters.
Chan also stressed that with the moving from phase 5
to phase 6,countries and public health authorities need to recalibrate their
responses "to be in keeping with the evolution of the outbreaks in their own
country."
"The WHO does not want to provide one set of
recommendations to all countries. Clearly that is not pragmatic," she said,
adding that governments have their own space and flexibility to readjust their
measures.
She reiterated, however, that the WHO does not
recommend closure of borders and there should be no restriction of movement of
people, goods or services.
Answering questions about H1N1 vaccine, Chan said the
WHO has been in regular dialogue with vaccine manufacturers.
She said manufacturers are expected to finish
production for seasonal influenza for the northern hemisphere very soon, and
then the WHO would advise them to quickly prepare to make commercial-scale
pandemic vaccine.
As of Thursday, 74 countries and regions have
officially reported 28,774 cases of A/H1N1 influenza infections to the WHO,
including 144 deaths.
Most of the deaths occurred in Mexico, where the new
virus was first identified. Deaths have also been reported from the Untied
States, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic.
UN Secretary-general Ban Ki- moon speaks
at a his monthly press conference at UN headquarters in New York, the
United States, June 11, 2009. Ban Ki- moon said here on Thursday that the
world "must be watchful" of A/H1N1 flu, but "it is not in itself a cause
for alarm". The World Health Organization (WHO) elevated its pandemic
alert to Phase 6 on a six-point scale earlier Thursday, but said that the
pandemic is moderate. (Xinhua/Shen Hong) Photo
Gallery>>>
UNITED NATIONS, June 11 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-general
Ban Ki-moon on Thursday cautioned against undue alarm while stressing the need
for preparedness, as the United Nations health agency announced that the world
is experiencing an influenza pandemic caused by the new A/H1N1) virus.
Earlier on Thursday, the World Health Organization (WHO)
under the UN said it has elevated its pandemic alert from phase 5 to phase 6,
indicating a global pandemic outbreak. Full story
