Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-10-25-Speech-2-060"
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"en.20051025.4.2-060"2
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"Europe has found itself truly at the threshold of a global crisis. We must prepare ourselves for a pandemic, and we must not be taken by surprise.
It has been shown that during the ‘Spanish flu’ pandemic of 1918, the disease claimed at least 20 million victims. According to the World Health Organisation, we can now expect a pandemic to cause the loss of 2 to 7 million lives. This is not panic-mongering. The WHO admits that the number may even rise as high as 150 million. In the event of a pandemic, the production of a vaccine after mutation occurs will be complicated, and we will be racing against time to save lives.
Not all European Union countries pay equal attention to the problem. There are countries that allocate national resources in a responsible manner, but there are also countries that clearly underestimate the threat of the disease and, in particular, its possible consequences. I therefore call for coordinated action at the European level. National plans for prevention and immunisation should be drawn up in cooperation with European institutions and Member States. Every Member State should have a highly effective pandemic plan. We know that the effectiveness and level of these plans vary. I urgently call on the Union to mobilise and release more substantial financial, technical and material resources. Many findings suggest that European countries are not adequately prepared; half of the Member States do not have a sufficient stock of antiviral medicines. Cooperation with pharmaceuticals companies must be strengthened in order to secure the necessary quantity of antiviral drugs.
The Senior United Nations System Coordinator for Avian and Human Influenza, Dr David Nabarro, underlined huge differences in the amount of funds allocated for prevention and treatment. Thus, while the UN has only allocated 7 million dollars for this purpose, the United States alone has already released one hundred million dollars. According to Dr Nabarro, the UN would need at least USD 175 million for an effective programme. In case a flu epidemic breaks out, I am asking whether such countries as Japan, the United States or the European Union will be ready to put their resources and vaccines at the disposal of developing countries to help localise a pandemic or epidemic wherever it occurs."@en1
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