Over 60 health experts to discuss avian flu

Over 60 health experts from at least 15 African countries, regional and international organizations are expected to attend a symposium on public health codes of ethics for pandemic influenza detection and control in Africa. The convention will take place from 11-15 August at the Speke Resort Hotel Munyonyo in Kampala. The symposium will identify key pandemic influenza ethical challenges and build consensus on African sensitive public health code of ethics for pandemic Influenza for various African regions and countries. “The risk of Avian Influenza epizootic and pandemic in Africa has increased following detection of H5N 1 virus in a number of countries. East Africa as a region is at risk because there is a lot migration of a variety of birds that are capable of transmitting the virus to humans. There is also a lot of human migration and this puts everybody at risk,”said Dr. Patrick Nguku, an epidemiologist at the African Field Epidemiology Network in an interview with The New Times. Pandemic influenza raises unique ethical challenges to governments such as quarantine and isolation, border control and vaccination and treatment. “This makes it important to develop guidelines beforehand to be able to effectively respond when the attacks. It is difficult to make decisions on these issues on how to respond in the heat of a pandemic. East Africa is on alert because cases of the pandemic have been reported in some of our boardering countries like Southern Sudan,” Dr.Nguku explained. Cases of the outbreak in Africa have been reported in Nigeria, Egypt, Ghana, Southern Sudan, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast and Cameroon among others. The symposium will also develop strategies to ensure that various countries in Africa adopt these codes of ethics for adequate pandemic influenza preparedness. Under the theme “Identifying African Perspectives on Pandemic Influenza Ethics; Building Consensus on Ethical challenges” the meeting has been organized by African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET ) in collaboration with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC ). The World Health Organisation, African Union, Red Cross, World Bank and Southern African Development Community (SADC ) are expected at the symposium. Ends

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Over 60 health experts to discuss avian flu