BANGKOK, Oct. 10 (Xinhuanet) -- Thailand, the United States and the World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday agreed to joint hands in combating the looming influenza and avian flu outbreak that will raise havoc at a global level, the Thai News Agency reported.
At the meeting on International Partnership on Avian and Pandemic Influenza (IPAPI) here, top public health officials from Thailand, the United States and leading international organizations discussed joint measures to prevent the influenza and bird flu and agreed to form a network to fight the epidemics.
According to the WHO, once the H5N1 virus that causes bird flu mutates, over 1 billion people around the world could be affected, potentially killing up to seven million people. It will also inflict a loss of 30 billion US dollars to the world economy.
WHO Director-General Dr. Lee Jong Wook said every country should prepare itself for the influenza outbreak.
"Avian influenza will hurt the world more than SARS, so there is every need for surveillance, early warning and prevention against the mutation of the H5N1 virus", he was quoted as saying.
US Secretary for Health and Human Services Michael Leavitt saidthe United States wants to see joint action from all countries in building a prevention network, in particular prevention of animal-to-human transmission and human-to-human transmission.
He also pledged full support for Thailand's undertaking in thisarea.
Thailand's Public Health Minister Suchai Charoenratanakul reiterated the country's readiness to host the regional stock of anti-influenza virus medicine.
He added Thailand is willing to cooperate in the joint study and development of anti-flu vaccine.
Since late 2003, bird flu epidemic has been discovered in 10 Asian countries, resulting in the deaths of more than 60 people.
Besides, the H5N1 virus is expected to aggravate the global influenza outbreak, which occurs once every 10-50 years. Enditem
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