W.H.O. Rushes Drugs to Nations Hit by Swine Flu

Melanie A. Staley
Nov. 13, 2009
2:20pm

The World Health Organization is responding to H1N1 cases in several nations that are struggling with the growing number of cases and experiencing shortages of medical supplies. These nations include Afghanistan, Belarus, Mongolia, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, and Azerbaijan. They are being sent ample supply of antiviral medications, such as Tamiflu. The WHO is also changing its policy on how these drugs should be implemented. Originally, with fears of shortages in mind, it was being stressed that these drugs should be prescribed only after lab results confirmed a case of H1N1. Now, however, with the increasing number of preventable deaths, the WHO is administering guidelines that "anyone with flu-like symptoms for three days, along with people in several high-risk groups" (ie. children under two years, pregnant women, and those with respiratory problems) should be given antiviral drugs prior to lab confirmation. The article also reports that in the US alone, there has been 3,900 deaths associated with H1N1 and the poor health conditions it has induced, such as pneumonia.

Reading this article, I was so glad to learn that the WHO is helping nations less affluent than our own. Throughout the H1N1 season, I have been wondering about other nations and other regions of the world and how they may be coping with rising numbers of this flu. There has been very little reported on a global or regional scale, besides the fact that all are being affected. I am glad to hear that the WHO has changed its guidelines, so that hopefully more people may benefit from antiviral medication before it is too late to take affect. It is also wonderful to hear that calls of need are being met, especially in a time when so many are unsure of the outcome of this year's flu season.

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/13/world/13flu.html?ref=world