Avian Influenza and the Pandemic Threat

Progress was reviewed at the International Senior Officials' Meeting on Avian and Pandemic Influenza in Vienna, June 2006.

An international conference in Bamako/Mali (6-8 December 2006) took stock of the funding situation and reviewed funding requirements for Africa. Pledges in Beijing did not cover the urgently needed financial assistance for avian influenza and pandemic preparedness outside Asia.

Too few resources are also available for UN system agencies and partners to support essential actions in poor countries, especially in Africa.

Avian influenza and the human influenza pandemic threat are global challenges.

In a series of conferences of senior officials the international communuity has agreed on a strategy to combat avian influenza and reduce the risk of a human influenza pandemic.

In September 2005, US President Bush announced the International Partnership on Avian and Pandemic Influenza (IPAPI), at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. IPAPI is a loose partnership of different national and regional bodies.