WHO INFLUENZA PANDEMIC TASK FORCE HOLDS FIRST MEETING

The World Health Organization (WHO) Influenza Pandemic Task Force met for the first time Monday at the WHO headquarters in Geneva.

The task force was established to comply with the 2006 World Health Assembly Resolution. It will advise the WHO on potential public health issues of international concern related to avian and pandemic influenza such as appropriate international response measures to a pandemic. The task force is a temporary body that will advise the WHO until the International Health Regulations come into force in June 2007.

"The International Health Regulations (IHR) are a key element in strengthening global health security. By bringing this group of experts together and ensuring that we have established effective means of working together when disease outbreaks occur, we can ensure that we are getting both the best advice for WHO and building a platform of shared knowledge and ability to respond to rapidly evolving health emergencies worldwide" said Guenael Rodier, the WHO Director responsible for implementing the IHR.

As part of its recommendations for responding to an avian influenza pandemic threat released last year, the WHO has proposed forming an international stockpile of antiviral drugs and increasing the development of vaccines.