Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-11-30-Speech-3-163"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20051130.15.3-163"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:translated text |
"I welcome the discussion about this report in European Parliament. Its aim is to strengthen the prevention of pandemic of bird-origin influenza, reduce health risks, and prevent the potential loss of life. To date, the death toll from bird flu virus is 68 persons who demonstrably caught the infection from birds. However, the entire mankind would be in jeopardy if the virus mutates and acquires the ability to spread among humans.
This is where cooperation and coordination among the countries is vital. We know that the disease does not know and respect borders, and this is particularly worrying in case of this deadly disease to which people have no antibodies. However, cooperation is required not only at the international level, but also within individual countries between different sectors. All of them, be it agriculture, healthcare, education, or defence, must fulfil their respective tasks in case of pandemic.
I must, however, emphasise the importance of behaviour of the population. During the first phase of the breakout, people generally lack adequate information. This is when, instead of rational conduct, people are seized with panic and chaos sets in. And these are the worst enemies in similar situations. Behaviour of people is the most effective when they have information and negative past experience – which they already have in connection with a pandemic. The Spanish flu pandemic of 1917 that killed 40 million should give all of us sufficient warning.
In a recent discussion here in European Parliament Commissioner Kyprianou made a misleading statement when he said that he had 25 national action plans on the table. It is not important for us whether you have 25 programmes on the table. What matters is that you have one common and good quality plan to fight the pandemic. The recent verification of the worst possible scenario of the European 25+2 revealed shortcomings exactly in the area of communication between individual national programmes.
On the one hand, many politicians downplay the danger by stating that these are only the tricks played by pharmaceuticals companies, but, on the other hand, the population gains access to information that the state authorities are already identifying sites for mass graves. All of us, healthcare workers, are aware of the shortage of financial resources in the healthcare system of every country. This is why many countries restrict the number of surgeries and create waiting lists. I am afraid that these financially fragile systems will not have sufficient resources to deal with a pandemic. I therefore think that the population should be informed so as to be able to assume a certain portion of the costs."@en1
|
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples