World Health Organisation Advises Nations To Get Ready

The importance of getting prepared and planning in advance by stocking up on the anti flu viral drug Tamiflu should be top priority of all nations according to the WHO. The statement from a regional director of the WHO in the Middle East said that countries of the Middle East should make their own Tamiflu producing capabities and become self sufficient in the event of a bird flu outbreak.

The bird flu virus H5N1 has been found in a few Middle Eastern countries already, namely Iraq, Egypt and Jordan and contaminated birds have been seen in the Lebanon, Kuwait and Israel. Some of the Middle Eastern countries have been very good at getting themselves prepared and both Jordan and Egypt have been promoting public awareness campaigns that are designed to get the public knowledgable on the measures needed to stop the spread of the disease. The WHO has praised the efforts of these governments and has advised other Middle Eastern governments to follow suit and launch similar public health campaigns.

Another Middle Eastern country, the UAE, said last week that it was ready for an attck of birdflu and had stocks of Tamiflu in place and were keeping close checks on borders and the health of poultry in the region. The WHO also has underlined the importance of all nations to really take the threat seriously and to be responsible for the health of its ciitizens. Emergency quarantining zones and Tamiflu distribution must be practised and rehearsed to get the best results in the event of The H5N1 virus taking hold in a country.