Threat of a new influenza imminent (Tue. Dec 9....pg...)
The threat of a new influenza which is a combination of the avian influenza otherwise known as ‘bird flue’ (H5N1) and the swine flue ( H1N1) is eminent.
Several resurgence of the pandemic virus (H5N1) is expected to resurface combining with the H1N1 to become more lethal leading to increased attack or death.
A United States Africa Command Representative at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Lieutenant Colonel Nancy Jean-Louis, disclosed this to participants in the Pandemic Influenza Regional Civil-Military Contingency workshop underway in Accra.
The workshop was designed to strengthen the capacity of the military in Africa to plan and respond to pandemic disasters.
The workshop, organised by the United States African Command (AfriCom) Response Program, was also expected to build the capacity of the military of the participating countries to play a key role in collaboration with the ministries and non-governmental entities in maintaining security, providing logistical support and maintaining communication and to augment medical care during periods of the pandemic and to mainstream the military’s pandemic planning process within the national planning process to ensure maximum co-ordination and effectiveness.
Participants in the five-day workshop were drawn from the military and health agencies from West and Southern Africa and the United Nations World Food Programme.
Lt Colonel Jean-Louis stressed that “the threat of the H5N1 still exists and the possibility of the H1N1 virus recombining with H5N1 is real enough that we should remain vigilant”.
She said the military remained an important part of the crusade to contain the situation as it could play a key role in maintaining security and aspects of law and order, adding that the Ministry of Defence provided an important proportion of health care in most countries not only to members of the Armed Forces but the general public hence the need for policies that were consistent with those formulated by Ministry of Health and other competent authorities.
The Programme Manager of AfriCom, Mr Erik ThreeT, for his part, said the initiative started in May 2009 and had been successful in developing partnership in order to respond to complex humanitarian disasters such as a pandemic disaster.
He said US AfriCom objective for its pandemic response programme were to create an opportunity for senior level and mid-level military leaders to train in disaster management, humanitarian assistance, and pandemic preparedness, to provide a mechanism for military response plans to be tested at national, regional and local levels and to assist partner nations in assessing their pandemic disaster preparedness baseline.
Mr ThreeT said dealing with a pandemic, from planning to the post operation stage remained a high priority of the US government.
He noted that pandemic influenza planning was high on the US government’s agenda, hence it had committed specific resources to help partner the military in Africa and Asia to deal with the topic.
The National Co-ordinator of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Mr Kofi Portuphy, said the country was prepared in containing the H1NI pandemic as demonstrated in its ability to deal with the 53 cases that had so far being identified in the country.
He called for assistance for the Nugouchi Memorial Institute to strengthen its operational requirements as the centre had become the nation’s testing and confirmation point for the H1N1 pandemic.
Several resurgence of the pandemic virus (H5N1) is expected to resurface combining with the H1N1 to become more lethal leading to increased attack or death.
A United States Africa Command Representative at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Lieutenant Colonel Nancy Jean-Louis, disclosed this to participants in the Pandemic Influenza Regional Civil-Military Contingency workshop underway in Accra.
The workshop was designed to strengthen the capacity of the military in Africa to plan and respond to pandemic disasters.
The workshop, organised by the United States African Command (AfriCom) Response Program, was also expected to build the capacity of the military of the participating countries to play a key role in collaboration with the ministries and non-governmental entities in maintaining security, providing logistical support and maintaining communication and to augment medical care during periods of the pandemic and to mainstream the military’s pandemic planning process within the national planning process to ensure maximum co-ordination and effectiveness.
Participants in the five-day workshop were drawn from the military and health agencies from West and Southern Africa and the United Nations World Food Programme.
Lt Colonel Jean-Louis stressed that “the threat of the H5N1 still exists and the possibility of the H1N1 virus recombining with H5N1 is real enough that we should remain vigilant”.
She said the military remained an important part of the crusade to contain the situation as it could play a key role in maintaining security and aspects of law and order, adding that the Ministry of Defence provided an important proportion of health care in most countries not only to members of the Armed Forces but the general public hence the need for policies that were consistent with those formulated by Ministry of Health and other competent authorities.
The Programme Manager of AfriCom, Mr Erik ThreeT, for his part, said the initiative started in May 2009 and had been successful in developing partnership in order to respond to complex humanitarian disasters such as a pandemic disaster.
He said US AfriCom objective for its pandemic response programme were to create an opportunity for senior level and mid-level military leaders to train in disaster management, humanitarian assistance, and pandemic preparedness, to provide a mechanism for military response plans to be tested at national, regional and local levels and to assist partner nations in assessing their pandemic disaster preparedness baseline.
Mr ThreeT said dealing with a pandemic, from planning to the post operation stage remained a high priority of the US government.
He noted that pandemic influenza planning was high on the US government’s agenda, hence it had committed specific resources to help partner the military in Africa and Asia to deal with the topic.
The National Co-ordinator of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Mr Kofi Portuphy, said the country was prepared in containing the H1NI pandemic as demonstrated in its ability to deal with the 53 cases that had so far being identified in the country.
He called for assistance for the Nugouchi Memorial Institute to strengthen its operational requirements as the centre had become the nation’s testing and confirmation point for the H1N1 pandemic.
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