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 11 November 2009
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Afghan government declares State of Emergency over H1N1

11/11/2009

The Government of Afghanistan has declared a State of emergency in the whole country due to the spread of the H1N1 virus.

Peter Graaf

Afghanis wearing masks

Peter Graaf, Representative of the World Health Organization, on Wednesday said schools, universities and wedding halls were closed for the next three weeks. The government has advised people to wear masks when in public places and to stay home if they had a fever.

Graaf says the country could be at the beginning of a major outbreak.


Peter Graaf

Peter Graaf

"The Ministry of Public Health has now reported a total of 779 confirmed cases, including 11 deaths. The outbreak started in July, and was initially confined to foreigners working at Bahran airbase. But since October 27th, we have seen new 508 new cases of which approximately 300 in the Afghan national army and the remainder in the civilian population, predominantly in Kabul."



WHO previously donated more than 30,000 courses of anti-viral medication and is shipping an additional 10,000 courses this week.

The agency has designated Afghanistan as a low-income and vulnerable country eligible to receive Pandemic Influenza Vaccine donations and has committed to send 500,000 doses of vaccine in December with a further donation of 1.8 million doses in April 2010.

Jocelyne Sambira, United Nations
(duration: 1'29")

Sound bites

Peter Graaf, WHO representative

"The Ministry of Public Health has now reported a total of 779 confirmed cases, including 11 deaths. The outbreak started in July, and was initially confined to foreigners working at Bahran airbase. But since October 27th, we have seen new 508 new cases of which approximately 300 in the Afghan national army and the remainder in the civilian population, predominantly in Kabul."
Duration: 37 secs

Peter Graaf, WHO representative

"We're at the beginning of the cold season, that's typically the period of the year that influenza numbers increase. So, we could very well be at the beginning of a major outbreak, but we're monitoring--we, the Ministry of Public Health, its disease early warning system--we're monitoring to see over time how the outbreak is behaving, and whether the measures we are taken result in limiting how serious this goal will be and how many people will be affected."
Duration: 39 secs

Peter Graaf, WHO representative

"WHO has promised countries that are considered to be at particular risk and don't have the necessary financial resources to procure vaccine themselves, that it would provide up to ten percent with vaccine. We have an initial allocation of 500 thousand doses out the first 11 million doses that will become available to the World Health Organization in the coming weeks. And I use specifically the word "will," because so far, although generous pledges have been made both by manufacturers and by rich countries, we have not yet received the vaccine. But out the first 11 million, almost 20 percent will come to Kabul. Now, later on as more vaccine becomes available, then we're talking about the ability to deal with a second wave later in the season. Probably more towards March or April, an additional 1.8 million doses will hopefully be ready for distribution to Kabul and onwards to other provinces of the country."
Duration: 1'20"