Environmental Engineering Reference
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health crises internationally was the lack of a collaborative framework and ethos—
in this case among different governments and organisations. In many respects, the
acceptance of the need for candour began at the conference itself, as representatives
from the various countries and organisations shared their experiences openly around
the table. This opportunity, to be honest, was a significant outcome in a new culture
of transparency about infectious disease.
The conference was organised along four main themes. The first theme, in which
Prime Minister Paul Martin participated in the discussions, concerned animal-
human health. It is essential to the global capacity to protect human health that the
risks associated with the spread of viruses—among animals and from animals to
humans—be identified early and understood well. Thus the conference participants
called for increased capacity for surveillance and for the exchange of information
between the agriculture and health sectors at the local, national, and international
level (Health canada 2005). they also called for the expansion and integration of
the network of relevant wHo collaborating centres and the reference libraries of the
Fao and the world organisation for animal Health (OIE) for the rapid identification
of virus strains, as well as a number of other collaborative reforms.
the second theme, concerning capacity and surveillance, involved discussions
in which all participants celebrated the practices of the thai government. the health
ministers all recognised the need to strengthen the capacity for surveillance, the early
detection and diagnosis of a range of infectious diseases, and timely communication
about them as well as a rapid response.
the third theme was risk communication. canada has helped the wHo develop
a manual on outbreak communication designed for the 24-hour media cycle (wHo
2005). when an alarmist statement in one part of the world could potentially affect
the entire globe, it is extraordinarily important that everyone is on the same page.
Finally, there was a discussion about research and access to vaccines and antiviral
drugs. there was general agreement that it is imperative to push hard on the research
side. the current system relies on 1950s technology for developing vaccines, which
involves waiting for cultures to grow; there is a clear need for work on cellular
technologies and synthetic vaccines. one must always push ahead as these viruses
and bacteria have the potential to mutate. the research and development (r&D)
into new forms of immunisation, as in all facets of pandemic preparedness, must be
diverse and adaptive so as not to end up with all one's eggs in one basket. In this
regard, the ministers agreed to include vaccines and antivirals as key components
in pandemic influenza preparedness and response plans both at the national and the
international levels, to work collaboratively to advance vaccine and antiviral r&D,
to develop as quickly as possible mechanisms to increase production capacity, to
enhance pharmaceutical delivery so that there can be equitable access world-wide,
and to call for a meeting of drug-regulating authorities to develop a framework to
address common regulatory challenges in order to expedite vaccine registration and
availability. again, the issue ties into the central theme: it is integral to any health
initiative that the partnerships, in terms of the key stakeholders (including civil
society), play important front-line roles in preparedness planning.
 
 
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