For several months there may be a crescendo of criticism of the influenza pandemic caused by H1N1 virus (2009). One often hears and reads that this pandemic was invented by corrupt people to fill their bank account even with the complicity of higher-level experts.
The key point is the buffalo WHO, shortly after the appearance of new strain of influenza virus, has changed its definition of a pandemic by removing the phrase "huge numbers of sick and dead." Only in this way - critics say - it was possible to proclaim the pandemic and then start the production of vaccines. This supposed change in definition was then constructed the hypothesis of a massive global conspiracy that belong to the WHO and "Big Pharma". Victims of the conspiracy that Member States are been forced to spend a lot of money for a false pandemic and who are now with a large amount of unused vaccines. Of course critics pretend that they have nothing to do with the fact that many people have decided not to get vaccinated.
Yesterday, 14.1.10, Keiji Fukuda, WHO's Director-General's special adviser, responded to the accusations during a press conference on line (to listen click here ).
Dr. Fukuda stresses again that the evaluation of the WHO is that it is too early to consider the pandemic ended. In a number of countries, the influence A/H1N1 (2009) continues to cause epidemics and also no one can predict how the virus behaves in the coming months in the countries of the northern hemisphere and winter in the southern hemisphere.
regard to the criticisms that the WHO, Dr. Fukuda said that they are always welcome if it is constructive criticism because they help improve things. The invitation of the Council of Europe a hearing on pandemic influenza is welcome because it will provide an opportunity for WHO to speak in depth of the pandemic and clarify several misunderstandings.
With the opportunity of this briefing Dr. Fukuda aims to explain some facts because the media continues to move a lot of misinformation about the pandemic and the way in which the WHO had responded to this emergency.
The issues addressed in this press conference are four
1) E 'this really is a pandemic?
2) The WHO has changed its definition of a pandemic?
3) WHO has inflated the severity of this pandemic?
4) The WHO has been unduly swayed by the pharmaceutical industry?
1) E 'veramenta this pandemic?
The answer is very clear: YES
The claim of some people that this is a false pandemic scienficamente and historically wrong. When scientists talk about diseases infettive usano parole come "cluster" o "casi" se solo poche persone si ammalano, e "focolaio" o "epidemia" se il numero di infezioni si estende ad un numero maggiore di persone. Queste parole non sono precise ma danno un senso relativo della situazione. Quando le infezioni coninvolgono tutto il mondo o la maggior parte dei paesi, si usa la parola "pandemia".
Il 29 aprile, poco dopo che era stato visto che l'epidemia, che aveva il suo inizio in Messico, era stata causata da un virus influenzale geneticamente ed antigenicamente completamente nuovo, sono stati riportati casi di infezione da 9 paesi. Solo ca. 6 settimane dopo, l' 11.6. il numero dei paesi che segnalavano casi era salito a 74 e il 1.7. erano 120. Quando si presenta una diffusione so broad, it is called a pandemic. Consequently, the WHO has informed the world that there was a pandemic in progress.
far, the number of deaths caused by influenza A/H1N1, according to conservative estimates, more than 13,000. When in due course it will be processed the statistics, you will see that the real death toll is much higher. Dr. Fukuda also find it disrespectful to the many people who have had to suffer serious complications and even death, and those that are also to those who have worked very hard to protect others from the pandemic.
2) The WHO has changed its definition of a pandemic?
Even to this question risposta è: NO
Basta guardare in una qualsiasi enciclopedia, o nei libri di testo o fare una ricerca su Internet digitando "definizione di pandemia" e si troverà che - anche se le spiegazioni differiscono leggermente l'una dall'altra - la sostanza rimane sempre quella che una pandemia è l'ampia diffusione di una malattia. Poi ci sono chiaramente differenze fra una pandemia e l'altra. Per esempio la pandemia di HIV/Aids ha caratteristiche diverse da una pandemia d'influenza e anche fra le pandemie d'influenza ci sono differenze. Quella del 1918/19 era molto più grave di quelle degli anni 1958/59, 1968/69 e quella attuale. Ma la linea di base non cambia: l'ampia diffusione di una malattia. L'OMS ha sempre sottolineato questo aspect in their definitions.
The official definitions of the pandemic can be read in the guidelines that have been delivered to member countries. The first was released in 1999, then a revision was published in 2005 and again in 2009. Who reads these guides will see how hundreds of scientists working with WHO on these definitions have always tried to make them clearer. One thing that WHO had never done any of these definitions was to include gravity as part of the guidelines. The reason is very simple: history has shown that the impact of pandemics can range from moderate to very severe. So when a new influenza virus emerges and spread on a large scale, we know that the impact may vary from one extreme to another. Dr. Fukuda calls on all to read these documents, even if they are very technical, to make personal account of what the definitions say really.
3) WHO has inflated the severity of this pandemic?
The answer is: NO.
From the beginning, the WHO had expressed the opinion that it is a pandemic of moderate severity. He also always said that not having a crystal ball was not in a position to know how a pandemic would behave over time and this remains as true today as it was then. Nobody can predict the future of the pandemic. However, it is also a fact that events so full of unknowns are to overreact to the media, but the WHO has always been consistent in the information given.
No health authorities, incl. WHO, can relax and wait, doing nothing, as things develop. It was necessary to adopt the precautionary principle, that hope for the best and be prepared for the worst.
Dr. Fukuda calls for a reflection that we do not know how many cases of illness and death have been avoided thanks to the exceptional measures taken by countries to mitigate the impact of the epidemic. He firmly believes that these measures should not be taken for granted.
4) The WHO has been swayed by the pharmaceutical industry?
To this question the answer is: NO
beginning of the pandemic, the WHO immediately contacted leading experts in the world and also the industry to discuss measures to be taken. With industry representatives has been talked about their ability to produce vaccines and what could be done to accelerate the process of production and distribution. Now the question is not whether the WHO has had contact with the industry but if it is done improperly influence by manufacturers of vaccines and antivirals.
To protect the integrity of the WHO, long before the current pandemic have been adopted routine measures against potential conflicts of interest. E 'for many years established practice.
(ndt:: Links to my previous post in which I dealt with the theme)
Dr. Fukuda has also harsh words for those who call this a hoax pandemic. It 'a false and irresponsible, he said.
Now journalists can ask specific questions. For example
Helen Branwell Canadian Press calls for further clarification about the alleged Change of definition of a pandemic (obviously referring to the document that has circulated for months ampiampente in the media and in blogs and forums, see my post "The 'WHO and the definition of a pandemic ") and dr. Fukuda said:
Now in terms of the pandemic definition, I think that there has been a lot of confusion, because there have been a number of different documents which have talked about pandemics. Now some of the documents which have been put up, have been descriptions of pandemics, and particularly, some of the descriptions of potential pandemics were put up during the time when the concern about the Avian H5N1 infection were very strong. And I think in some of these descriptions, for example, one which is posted back in 2005, there was an emphasis on the more severe potential impact of a pandemic. And I think that some of the people have gotten this confused, have confused this kind of description with the definition of a pandemic.Traduzione:
But when you go back to the guidelines, and there were guidelines produced in 1999, 2005, and 2009, you will see that although there is discussion about these pandemic definitions and there is some continual attempt to try to make them clearer, severity itself was not part of the definition.
Riguardo ai termini della definizione di pandemia, penso che ci sia stata molta confusione perché ci sono stati diversi documenti che parlavano di pandemie. Alcuni di questi sono state descrizioni di pandemie ed in modo particolare alcune di queste descrizioni di potenziali pandemie sono state scritte durante il periodo in cui la preoccupazione per l'influenza aviaria H5N1 erano molto forti. Penso che in alcune di queste descrizioni, per esempio in place in 2005, was referred to the potential impact of a pandemic more severe. I think some people have mistaken this kind of description with the definition of a pandemic.
But if you re-read the guidelines that were published in 1999, 2005 and 2009, you'll see that - although there have been discussions on the definitions of a pandemic and there are continued efforts to make them clearer - not the severity of the impact had never been part of the definition.
does not reflect other reporters' questions and answers dr. Fukuda because they are not closely related to the topic of this post.
Added 25.1.10
the WHO web site was published a socket Position:
Statement of the World Health Organization on allegations of conflict of interest and 'fake' pandemic
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/statements/2010/h1n1_pandemic_20100122/en/index . htmlAdded 26.1.10
Statement by Dr Keiji Fukuda On behalf of WHO at the Council of Europe hearing on pandemic (H1N1) 2009
http://www.who. int / csr / disease / swineflu / coe_hearing / en / index.html
