India questions WHO on H1N1 false pandemic reports

New Delhi, Jan 22: Pointing out that media reports terming Swine Flu as a 'false pandemic' was adversely affecting public health care measures, India on Wednesday, Jan 20 asked the World Health Organisation (WHO) to clarify on the issue.

Union Health Secretary K Sujatha Rao raised the issue at executive board meeting of the world health organisation in Geneva.

Besides this, Rao also demanded for transparency on the terms and conditions based on which international vaccine manufacturers were supplying vaccines to countries.

"In response to this intervention by India, it was agreed that WHO would formally write to National Focal Points in all countries clarifying the factual position about the H1N1 pandemic to quell all doubts that have been created," an official statement said.

Recently the media questioned the authenticity of the WHO's declaration of H1N1 influenza as a pandemic and alleged that the organisation raised the alarm to help pharmaceutical companies.

OneIndia News