Africa: Coping with the bird flu crisis

Policy makers around the world are gradually coming to terms with the real possibility of a bird or avian H5NI influenza pandemic. From Washington, D.C., to London, Paris, and other industrialized countries, preparations to combat a possible pandemic among human beings are almost assuming war-like proportions as the bird flu influenza moves from Asia to parts of Europe. The World Health Organization (WHO) is leading a coordinated global response through a new World Bank funded initiative. However, to date there is no coordinated response from Africa, its regional institutions or national governments, says this article from World Press Review.