The issue is very emotional

About time! The WHO has finally managed to get nations to agree on a comprehensive plan to share all flu virus samples after arguing which went on for four years. The issues centres around the fact that poorer developing nations like Indonesia claim that when they hand over to drug companies strains of the influenza viruses such as the H5N1 bird flu virus all that happens is that they end up being sold drugs and vaccines at high prices.

The developing nations said that they were only prepared to cooperate with the drug companies if they would share the vaccine formulas that they developed or if vaccines were set aside for use in their countries.

It seems unfair that when poorer nations cooperate with global drug companies to help them produce influenza vaccines and then they are denied them unless they pay market rates. The issue is particularly contentious because lives are at stake and the countries argued that drug companies must not be allowed to profit from not sharing information which was related to life and death.

The new deal which is still to be ratified at the next yearly general meeting of the World Health Organization in Geneva could still be derailed for a number of reasons.  The issue is very emotional and has previously led to complete breakdowns in communication.

The World Health Organization has been instrumental in helping developing nations which are at high risk from influenza pandemics like the swine flu in getting access to the medications Tamiflu and Relenza. These two drugs have been stockpiled by the WHO in a deal made with their manufacturers so that they can be immediately dispatched to parts of the world where the flu breaks out.

The medication Tamiflu which is made by the pharma company Roche is thought to be the most effective drug to treat swine flu and also the more deadly but rarer H5N1 bird flu virus.