WHA issues resolution on pandemic influenza
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 05/25/2011 3:37 PM
The World Health Assembly (WHA), the decision-making body of
the World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a resolution on a framework of
preparations for an influenza pandemic.
The decision was made at the recent WHA meeting in Geneva,
Switzerland, from May 16 to 24.
The resolution, proposed by Indonesia in 2007, will
improve influenza virus-sharing and access to vaccines and other benefits. The
resolution also regulates a fair and transparent Standard Material Transfer
Agreement (SMTA) among WHO member states.
Indonesian Health Ministry spokeswoman Murti Utami said
Wednesday in a press statement that Indonesia saw a gap in pandemic influenza treatments
between developed and developing countries.
“The resolution was necessary to provide a fair and
transparent global mechanism on the pandemics,” she said.
The resolution should be followed with more concrete actions,
such as the formation of an advisory group so that WHO member states could
monitor the resolution's implementation, she said.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih said
she hoped the resolution would lead Indonesia and other developing countries to
produce more advanced research of pandemic influenza, including studies of the H1N1
and H5N1 strains. (lfr)
