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SINGAPORE : World Health Organisation (WHO) chief Margaret Chan on Monday urged governments to prepare for a bird flu pandemic, describing it as a certainty although the timing and severity remains unknown.
"The next pandemic will certainly happen," the director-general told a news conference after a forum in Singapore on improving health security worldwide.
She noted that "nobody can predict the timing and nobody can predict whether it's going to be a severe or mild pandemic."
She also said no scientist can predict which avian influenza virus will spark a pandemic, but added that the H5N1 strain has been prominent over the past several years.
"So my advice to all member states is to maintain vigilance, to prepare for the pandemic. One thing we know for certain is any country that is prepared will see less damage," Chan said.
Speaking at the same conference and making a similar appeal was Singapore's Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Balaji Sadasivan.
He reminded that the Spanish flu pandemic killed around 40 million people in 1918 largely because it took the world by surprise.
"Being prepared, being vigilant can make a difference," Dr Balaji said.
Since 2003, the avian influenza has killed at least 169 people, mostly in Southeast Asia.
Chan noted that the virus has also spread to other parts of the world.
"I think the world has not seen this kind of spread of an avian influenza. We call it unprecedented spread. It has gone outside its Asia focus. It has gone to Middle East, it has gone to Europe, it has gone to Africa. The only continents so far that have not reported outbreak are in North America and South America."
Chan said what while the WHO would like to see bird flu under control, "my sense is that we need to maintain our vigilance, we cannot let our guard down." - AFP/de
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