Responding to the Threat of Pandemic Flu
Basic Facts | Preparedness Resources| Responding to the Threat
Live poultry en route to marketplace in Vietnam
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The threat of a human influenza pandemic is real and growing,
and NTI's Global Health and Security Initiative is committed to
help prevent, detect and respond to an influenza pandemic. This
is one way that we are trying to fulfill our mission because many
of the actions we take to prevent and respond to natural infectious
diseases, will also help us reduce the threat of bioterrorism.
Since 1997, the world has witnessed the emergence of a highly
pathogenic strain of avian influenza, H5N1, in eight countries
simultaneously. Outbreaks of the H5N1 strain have occurred in
poultry, migratory birds and waterfowl in Cambodia, China, Indonesia,
Japan, Laos, the Republic of Korean, Thailand, and Vietnam. While
extensive public health measures including the massive culling
of millions of infected birds have been implemented in afflicted
countries, this highly pathogenic strain has made its way into
humans. By 2005, avian flu has been detected in Malaysia, Russia,
Kazakhstan, Turkey, Romania and Mongolia.
As of October 2005, 121 humans have been infected with H5N1, 62
of who have died from the disease. It is important to mention
that on average 10-20% of the U.S. population is infected every
year with non-pandemic strains of influenza with an average of
36,000 deaths. To be sure, an outbreak of a pandemic strain, like
H5N1 would be disastrous, leading to countless infections and
a projected death toll in the millions.
To help increase awareness of this threat among senior policymakers
in the Group of Eight and key Asian nations on influenza preparedness,
the Global Health and Security Initiative is supporting the Royal
Institution World Science Assembly’s (RiSci) project on
pandemic influenza preparedness.
This project seeks to design a targeted, highly strategic education
campaign aimed at educating senior policy makers about the threat
posed by pandemic flu. The Global Health and Security Initiative
is providing technical and financial support to this effort, which
will include a global virtual workshop on pandemic flu preparedness. Click here for
more information on the project and to read the Foreign Affairs
and Nature Magazine articles on pandemic influenza.
Separately, with support from the Global Health and Security Initiative,
the Executive Summary of the 2003 Institute of Medicine of the
National Academies of Science (NAS) report Microbial Threats to
Health: Emergence, Detection, and Response, and the section on
the threat from pandemic influenza has been reprinted. The editors
of the report have also written a new preface on pandemic influenza.
The reprint is being made available at no cost. Click
here for the free PDF.
Basic Facts about Pandemic Influenza
These three sites offer information on pandemic
influenza, including basic facts, up-to-date news
and pandemic planning recommendations, nationally
and globally.
Pandemic Flu
Preparedness Resources
The threat of a human influenza pandemic is real
and growing, but there is a lot you can do to prepare yourself, your
family and your business. We
have compiled links and information for your reference.
Individual/Public Preparedness
Business Preparedness
Professional Resources:
Royal Institution World Assembly (RiSci) project
Responding to the Threat of Pandemic Flu
NTI's Global Health and Security Initiative is working in several
areas of the world to improve preparedness and response to pandemic
influenza. The
links below provide information on NTI's pandemic influenza direct-action
projects.
State
of Georgia Preparedness Exercise [pdf]
Pandemic Influenza Exercises
in Southeast Asia
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