UN unveils global strategy to prevent real threat of flu



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At the announcement of the revised global influenza strategy for the period 2019-2030, Dr. Tidros Gprisos, Director-General of WHO, warned that the issue was not about to know if another pandemic would occur, but when.

"The risk of pandemic influenza is still present," he said, citing the risk of transmission of a new animal-to-human influenza virus, likely to lead to a "real" pandemic.

According to the World Health Organization, influenza remains one of the biggest public health problems in the world, with the respiratory virus making between 290,000 and 650,000 deaths a year.

Globalization, urbanization and human movements will result in a much wider and faster spread of the pandemic, and even other health threats, such as heart attacks, strokes and severe pneumonia, can occur. being confronted by people living with HIV.

WHO's 11-year plan focuses on developing strong national programs with three goals: to reduce seasonal flu, reduce the risk of animal-to-animal transmission, and mitigate the effects of the epidemic.

In addition, FAO has called for better tools for prevention, detection, control and treatment of influenza, such as vaccines and more effective antiviral drugs.

The World Health Organization (WHO) notes that influenza epidemics tend to highlight the pressures on health systems in low- and middle-income countries in particular, leading FAO to insist on the importance of to invest in flu prevention measures, claiming that it will do "other infectious diseases".

According to data from the World Health Organization, the cost of pandemic preparedness worldwide is estimated at $ 4.5 billion per year, less than 1% of the estimated cost of coping with a pandemic. moderate to severe epidemic.

A serious epidemic could kill millions of people around the world, with widespread social and economic impacts, including a loss of national economic productivity and a significant economic burden for affected citizens and communities, the organization said. .

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