UNifeed: GENEVA / PHASE 6

GENEVA / PHASE 6

The World Health Organization declares an H1N1 flu pandemic - the first in 41 years - as infections climb around the globe. UNTV / FILE

Duration:02:31Date:11 June 2009

Categories:

United Nations Television, Pan American Health Organization, HEALTH, DISEASE PREVENTION AND CONTROL

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Full Script

STORY: GENEVA / PHASE 6 
TRT: 2.31
SOURCE: UNTV / PAHO / FLEISHMAN – HILLARD HANDOUT
RESTRICTIONS: NONE 
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 11 JUNE 2009, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND / FILE

SHOTLIST:

UNTV - RECENT, GENEVA SWITZERLAND

1. Wide shot, exterior World Health Organization

UNTV - 11 JUNE 2009, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

2. Wide shot, press conference 
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Margaret Chan, Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO): 
“As of today, nearly 30,000 confirmed cases have been reported in 74 countries. This is only part of the picture. With few exceptions, countries with large numbers of cases are those with good surveillance and testing procedures in place.”

FILE – PAHO – 10-11 MAY 2009, MEXICO CITY, MEXICO

4. Med shot, doctor preparing nasal swab exam test 
5. Close up, doctor performing the nasal swab exam test
6. Med shot, lab technician testing influenza samples

UNTV – 11 JUNE 2009, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Margaret Chan, Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO): 
“On the basis of available evidence, and these expert assessments of the evidence, the scientific criteria for an influenza pandemic have been met. I have therefore decided to raise the level of influenza pandemic alert from phase 5 to phase 6.The world is now at the start of the 2009 influenza pandemic.”

FILE – UNTV – 19 MAY 2008, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

8. Zoom in, Dr. Chan giving Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon a tour of WHO’s JW Lee Centre for Strategic Health Operations (also known as the SHOC room), the centre of WHO's emergency response
9. Med shot, woman in front of computer screen
10. Close up, influenza map on computer screen

UNTV – 11 JUNE 2009, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

11.SOUNDBITE (English) Margaret Chan, Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO): 
“Globally, we have good reason to believe that this pandemic, at least in its early days, will be of moderate severity. As we know from experience, severity can vary, depending on many factors, from one country to another.”

FILE – PAHO – 11-12 MAY 2009, MEXICO CITY, MEXICO

12. Wide shot, hospital room nursing taking care of an A (H1N1) patient
13. Med shot, nurse giving medicine to an A (H1N1) patient
14. Med shot, nurse checking the high blood pressure of a woman with A (H1N1)

UNTV - 11 JUNE 2009, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

15. SOUNDBITE (English) Margaret Chan, Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO): 
“I understand that production of vaccines for seasonal influenza will be completed soon, and that full capacity will be available to ensure the largest possible supply of pandemic vaccine in the months to come.”
 
FILE – FLEISHMAN – HILLARD HANDOUT – 2005

16. Various shots, production of antiviral drug Tamiflu

STORYLINE:

The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) today (11 June) announced her decision to raise the level of influenza pandemic alert from phase five to phase six, thereby declaring that a global H1N1 pandemic is officially underway.

At a press conference at WHO headquarters in Geneva, Margaret Chan said that as of today, “nearly 30,000 confirmed cases have been reported in 74 countries”. She pointed out that this was only part of the picture, since countries with large numbers tended to be those with good surveillance and testing procedures in place.

The A(H1N1) virus first emerged as the so-called "swine flu" in Mexico in April and has since spread around the world, with the figures for those infected rising daily.

Chan said that on the basis of expert assessments of the available evidence, the scientific criteria for an influenza pandemic have been met. “The world is now at the start of the 2009 influenza pandemic”, she told reporters.

It is the first pandemic of the 21st century, and the first flu pandemic in 40 years - the last in 1968 killed about one million people.

The WHO head stressed it was important to get the right balance between complacency and vigilance and that pandemic strategies would vary between countries depending on their specific situation.

Globally, she said there was “good reason to believe that this pandemic, at least in its early days, will be of moderate severity”, but warned countries that had passed their peak of new infections to be prepared for a second wave.

The current pandemic seems to cause mild illness in most people. Most cases are occurring in young working age adults. A third to a half of complications are presenting in otherwise healthy people.

Official reports put the number of deaths at 141 deaths worldwide. Chan pointed out that moving to pandemic phase six did not imply that we will see an increased rate of deaths or serious cases.

She also said that WHO was in close dialogue with influenza vaccine manufacturers, and that she understood that production of vaccines for seasonal influenza would be completed soon, so that “full capacity will be available to ensure the largest possible supply of pandemic vaccine in the months to come.”

Commenting on the WHO’s decision to move to phase six, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today said that access to vaccines and anti-virals that can treat serious cases of H1N1, was crucial, and called for “a firm demonstration of global solidarity” to help poor countries with weak health care systems deal with the pandemic.

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