Build defence against health risks: WHO

New Delhi, Apr 5 (UNI) The World Health Organisation today called nations to build the first line of defence against health risks by 'investing, preparing and responding' to dangers to public health through international collaboration and multi-sectoral approach.

Addressing the media on the World Health Day 2007 theme 'International Health Security', WHO Regional Director South East Asia Region, Samlee Plianbangchang, pointed out that epidemic-prone diseases, climate change, environmental degradation, disasters, both man-made and natural, held the potential to threaten global health security and nations must build their first line of defence against them.

Pointing out that the World Health Day slogan this year was, 'Invest in health, build a safer future', Dr Pianbangchang gave a call to governments, international organisations, business and civil society to prepare and respond to health dangers. The World Health Day is an occasion not only to consider lurking threats but also to focus on health challenges ahead and work collectively to meet them, he said.

The implementation of the International Health Regulations (2005) would help build and strengthen effective mechanisms for disease outbreak alert and response at national and international levels, he said. The Regulations adopted unanimously by the World Health Assembly in May 2005 was the key global instrument for protection against the international spread of disease and Public Health Events of International Concern (PHEIC), he said and added that the revised IHR would come into force from June, 2007.

Emergency Preparedness and Response at the country as well as international level is also an investment to secure health. ''Health security in countries is the basis of international health security,'' the Regional director pointed out.

The growing complexity of health threats in today's globalized world made it vital to adopt a multi-sectoral approach to acute health risks. Sudden shocks to health from old and emerging diseases as well as humanitarian emergencies could not be tackled by the health sector alone. A strong collaboration among developed and developing countries, increased information sharing, strengthening of public health systems and surveillance could help meet health challenges, he said.

Foreign policy makers, finance strategists and other organs of governments needed to put health firmly on their agenda, he said.

Rapid, frequent travel as well as migration in current times provided ample opportunity for diseases to effortlessly and speedily cross borders, he pointed out and said that SARS proved this most dramatically in 2003. Polio had re-emerged in countries that had virtually eradicated it. Avian influenza threatened to trigger a pandemic if the virus through substantial mutation and re-assortment assumes capacity for efficient and sustained human-to-human transmission. While HIV/AIDS continues to spread globally, the South-East Asia Region had the highest burden of TB amongst all WHO regions.

The Region was also prone to natural disasters with some countries having dealt with cyclones and monsoon floods.

Availability of safe drinking water, preventing diarrhoea and arresting the spread of malaria and HIV infection were some of the health challenges in the region that need to be addressed, he said and highlighted the need for investments, big and small, in health.

He reiterated WHO's commitment to work closely with all stakeholders to address threats to international health security.

UNI