The World Health Organization (WHO) has urged countries to put in place preventive measures and enhance preparedness ready for the possible re-emergence of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and avian influenza A (H5N1) in humans.
Addressing a WHO meeting in Shanghai, Dr Shigeru Omi, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific, noted that "many countries still do not have national pandemic preparedness plans essential to minimize the impact of the next pandemic."
Early detection and reporting of such events is crucial if the social and economic impact of these diseases is to be minimized, Dr Omi told WHO's regional governing body, the Regional Committee for the Western Pacific.
Said Dr Omi: "The lesson from SARS was that communicable diseases can spread very quickly from one country to another. International collaboration, including prompt and transparent information exchange, is critical to control their spread."
Four SARS incidents in the Western Pacific Region-three of them laboratory-associated-occurred after July 2003, when all human chains of SARS transmission had been declared successfully contained. The cases raised serious concerns about the possible future re-emergence of SARS.
Another emerging disease, avian influenza A(H5N1), hit at least nine countries in Asia in early 2004. The virus has the potential to jump from birds to humans. Most countries, however, lack comprehensive programmes to prevent animal-to-human transmission of zoonotic diseases. WHO also warned of the possibility of the virus acquiring the ability to transmit from human to human.