Global meeting on the H5N1 virus, WHO, 7-9 November

A meeting entitled "The H5N1 Agenda: Towards a global strategy" will be held at the World Health Organization's (WHO) Geneva headquarters 7-9 November. In recent weeks, a series of country, regional and international meetings, field missions and conferences have clarified the H5N1 challenge in many parts of the world. This meeting will put those pieces into a global picture for a comprehensive assessment and will identify the next steps for the control of avian influenza in animals and preparedness efforts for a human influenza pandemic.


The meeting will be open to all credentialed media. Registration with the WHO media office before 2 November is required. Space will be limited and registration will be accepted on a first come basis.


The meeting will produce an agenda for action. Progress, gaps and redundancies will be clarified and responsibilities assigned for assisting affected countries and countries at risk. The meeting will also identify and prioritize the technical and financial requirements for combating the H5N1 virus.


Participants will include representatives from Member States, NGOs and other stakeholders. The purpose of the meeting is to examine the two-pronged strategy of attempting to control avian influenza at its source in animals, while simultaneously preparing for pandemic influenza.


The meeting is co-organized by WHO, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the World Bank.


To register, please send an email by 2 November to munzingerjwho.int with your name, title, affiliation, telephone numbers and email address. Please also fax a copy of your media credentials and an identity card to: +41 22 791 4858.


Link to this article on the WHO web site, click here.