Avian Influenza and the Pandemic Threat

The gradual decline of pandemic (2009) H1N1 influenza outbreaks last year culminated in the World Health Organization’s 10 August 2010 announcement that the pandemic had ended, and the world had moved into a post-pandemic period. Coupled with this has been an overall reduction in outbreaks and countries affected by Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1since 2006. While both diseases continue to circulate and remain a concern today, in this context 2010 served as a year for reviewing and consolidating much of the work done over the previous years to prevent, prepare for, and respond to animal and pandemic influenzas.

The experiences of the 2009 H1N1 pandemic and HPAI H5N1 have resulted in useful lessons being learned. The outbreaks tested some of the planning put in place since 2005, proving that investments in readiness over the preceding years significantly impacted the way world was able to respond to a pandemic when it occurred. Many of these findings laid the foundation for discussions at the April 2010 Hanoi International Ministerial Conference on Animal and Pandemic Influenza, which gathered more than 500 delegates from 71 countries (including government ministers, their technical advisors and international organizations). In addition to reviewing the work that had been done to date, the conference also set the stage for the future, identifying three streams of work in need of sustained attention:

1. Prevention and Control of HPAI,
2. Adoption of One Health approaches and
3. Continued Readiness for Response to Influenza Pandemics.

As detailed in this report, many of these findings are recorded in the 2010 UN-World Bank Global Progress Report on Animal and Pandemic Influenza, a document which also proposes a framework for sustaining the momentum on this work. There are several other efforts to review and capture lessons learned for whole-of-society readiness or the overall global response, which continue today.

Within this context, in 2010 UNSIC began to review the mainstreaming of efforts around pandemics; identifying key functions to be maintained as well as those proposed for transitioning, and exploring how best to utilize existing structures and programmes in a more sustainable way. This UNSIC 2010 Annual Report provides an overview on UNSIC’s work in support of the evolving global response. This Report also captures UNSIC’s overall efforts towards a longer-term approach that aims to maintain what has been accomplished, build on the experience gained, and strengthen capacities and systems so that continuity of this work is secured.

David Nabarro
Senior UN System Influenza Coordinator

Download report:
2010 Annual Report [.pdf]