WHO Expected to Declare Swine Flu Pandemic

By Lisa Schlein

Geneva
11 June 2009

The World Health Organization is expected to declare the H1N1 Swine Flu
a pandemic, following an emergency meeting of health officials from
around the world. This will be the first declaration of a global flu
pandemic in more than 40 years. WHO estimates nearly 28,000 cases,
including 141 deaths have been reported in 74 countries.  

The
World Health Organization says there has been sustained community
transmission in countries outside of North America, and this means the
definition of a pandemic has been met.

But the World Health
Organization is quick to stress a pandemic has to do with the
geographic spread of the disease and not with its severity.   

Since
the H1N1 virus was first detected in Mexico and the United States in
April, it has spread to 74 countries. The jump in the number of cases
has been especially dramatic in Australia, where there has been a
four-fold increase in a week to more than 1,200 cases.

Several
countries are taking drastic action in an effort to prevent the H1N1
virus from taking hold. For example, Hong Kong has decided to close
its schools after confirming the first cluster of cases.

Hong
Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang says the action was prompted after
confirmation that 12 students in a local school, St. Paul, were
infected. He says the source of the infection is unknown so that
indicates all cases are indigenous.

"All kindergartens, primary
schools, childcare centers and special schools will suspend classes for
14 days from tomorrow. The education bureau will inform parents
through the schools. The bureau and the department of health will
monitor developments closely every day," he said.

The World
Health Organization has held off declaring a pandemic because it feared
this could trigger panic around the world. And, indeed panic has
gripped several countries.  

For example, Argentina reports
emergency health services collapsed this week because of the flood of
people who swarmed into hospitals fearing they had swine flu. Last
month, a group of Argentineans stoned a bus of tourists from Chile
because they thought one of the passengers had the virus.

By
raising its international alert level from phase five to phase six, the
World Health Organization will be signaling that a pandemic is under
way.  

WHO officials are eager to calm fears. They say that
raising the level to phase six does not mean the situation is
worsening. They note the virus is very mild and has not killed many
people. Since it has not mutated, the World Health Organization says
it is not becoming more deadly.  

The World Health Organization
says a pandemic announcement is important because it will trigger drug
makers to speed up the production of a swine flu vaccine, and will
likely cause governments to spend more money to contain the virus.