Asia still not prepared for pandemic: WHO

0 Comments | AFP, September, 2006

MANILA (AFP) — The Asia-Pacific region is still not prepared to handle the threat from emerging infectious diseases such as bird flu, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). To help the region better prepare, the WHO has released what it described as a "road map" for governments on how to prepare for emerging diseases, its Western Pacific office in Manila said Tuesday.

Health officials must not only have an immediate response to emerging diseases like avian influenza but they must also focus on the mid and long-term measures to battle these diseases, the WHO said a statement. "Many health systems were under-manned and under-resourced when SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) struck, causing great human suffering, enormous fear and staggering economic losses,"...