Recently, even the Director-General of the World Health Organization Margaret Chan, MD, in a speech, chose to highlight the very issues that the Saudi Authorities have been noticably derilict in their observations with their international agreements in this specific matter.

Its a pity the the very same Director-General didnt avail herself of this excellent opportunity to offer up an explaination of why the World Health Organization had chosen to change its reporting scheduleds to monthly rather than their previous practise of immediate reporting.

Global health groups weigh in on H7N9 threat
Lisa Schnirring Staff Writer


May 20, 2013 (CIDRAP News) – China's H7N9 influenza outbreak was one of the high-profile disease topics in the opening address today for the annual World Health Assembly (WHA), as two global health groups issued new assessments of the risk to humans and the poultry trade.

No new human H7N9 cases have been reported in the last several days, keeping the number of infections at 130 on the Chinese mainland, with the death toll staying at 36, Xinhua, China's state news agency, reported today. Citing Chinese health officials, the report said 72 people who were hospitalized with their infections have been discharged.

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Margaret Chan, MD, told the group meeting in Geneva today that when the WHA convened a decade ago, the world was grappling with the SARS epidemic, an event that focused attention on the need to share vital information with the international health community and led to important revisions of the International Health Regulations.

The WHA, held each year in Geneva, is the decision-making arm of the WHO. About 3,000 participants are on hand to decide on issues such as disease prevention, monitoring of health improvement markers, polio eradication, and the WHO's budget.

Chan said the world is now juggling two new disease threats, H7N9 and the novel coronavirus, or Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). She praised China's quick response and its transparency in sharing clinical investigation and virus information with the global health community. "I thank China for collecting and communicating such a wealth of information, and for collaborating so closely with WHO," she said.

Chan made no comment about how Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries have handled and communicated about the MERS-CoV outbreak. The countries don't appear to be reporting the cases promptly and have shared little clinical information about infected patients.

"I cannot overemphasize the importance of immediate and fully transparent reporting to WHO, and of strict adherence to your obligations set out in the International Health Regulations," Chan told the group. "As was the case 10 years ago, the current situation demands collaboration and cooperation from the entire world. A threat in one region can quickly become a threat to all."

Link here...

[link to www.cidrap.umn.edu]