Canada to host flu pandemic prep. meeting

Canada to host flu pandemic prep. meeting
by Helen Branswell
Canadian Press

Tuesday, September 13, 2005
TORONTO -- Health ministers from 20-plus developed and developing countries will meet in Canada next month to work on ways to enhance global capacity to respond to an influenza pandemic, federal government sources revealed Tuesday.

This is great news. It's unlikely that an avian influenza pandemic could be controlled by one country alone, and I'm particularly encouraged by this statement:


Part of the discussions are expected to centre around the issue of global inequity -- the fact that influenza vaccine manufacturing capacity only exists in wealthy countries, which are also the only nations that can afford to stockpile expensive antiviral drugs.

Stockpiling antivirals in developed countries not only hampers ability to control a pandemic at its source (which will likely begin in Southeast Asia), but it would probably be too little too late.