Bird flu summit today in Brisbane

Friday, 01 Nov, 2005 0

Amid widespread warnings of the impending end of travel as we know it, a group of disaster experts will meet in Brisbane today to discuss how to cope with a global outbreak of deadly bird flu.

The disaster experts from the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation forum’s 21 member countries, including Australia, Japan, Indonesia and the US, will meet today and tomorrow to discuss a co-ordinated response to an outbreak. It is hoped any gaps in preparedness will be identified.

Observers from the Pacific Island Forum, Burma, Cambodia, Laos and International Red Cross will also attend. Federal Health Minister Tony Abbott was widely quoted yesterday claiming that people would not be prepared to travel and border controls would be instigated in the event of an avian flu outbreak.

However, the Australian Medical Association has called on APEC delegates to develop a response based on education and information, not fear and panic.

President Mukesh Haikerwal said there had been fewer than 100 cases of bird-to-human transmissions of the virus and no cases of human-to-human transmissions world wide.

“From the evidence and the incidence of bird flu that is out there at the moment, it is probably a bit early and irresponsible to be talking of widespread doom, destruction and death,” Dr Haikerwal said. “People need to be able to get on with their lives without the prospect of some sort of ornithological Armageddon creating fear in the community.”

Let’s hope some perspective and sanity is brought backn into the debate.

The Mole

Graham Muldoon

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