Philippines and the bird flu

Indonesia is only several kilometers below the Philippines, while Thailand and Vietnam sit on its west. With it’s many scattered islands facing these countries, it would not be easy for infected wild birds to fly unnoticed into the Philippine shores. So far, there have been no report of any bird getting infected with the bird flu. And this could create a fall sense of security.

I haven’t reports of how the government is preparing, and there’s very little public awareness campaign going on that I know of. The Philippine Daily Inquirer reports that so far, only the large multinational companies have prepared well. Hopefully that’s about to change. A summit on business continuity planning will be held on October 5 to specifically discuss pandemic preparedness.

Quoted from the Philippine Daily Inquirer :

Dr. Kenneth Hartigan Go, executive director of Zuellig Foundation, urged the private sector during the Philippine College of Physicians health forum, to do more to prepare the public for the eventuality of the disease. He said he disagreed with the idea that keeping the avian flu in check was merely a government responsibility.

Critical industries, services and utilities such as water, telecommunication, food, transport, banking, hospitals and pharmaceuticals, and import/export agencies are all necessary to keep society functioning especially in times of crises, Go said.

Go also urged media to exercise “social responsibility” in educating the public about bird flu. Though the cases of bird flu may not amount too much, what is alarming would be the fatality rate among the reported cases. An unsettling 60 percent of those who contract the flu die.

As with any disaster successfully prepared for, the government agencies, private sectors, hospitals and medical institutions and public groups must work together to combat a pandemic as dangerous as the bird flu.

Hopefully, the Philippines learns from its southeast Asian neighbors. I’m keeping a close watch; my family lives there.

Tags: Asian, avian influenza, bird flu preparedness, Pandemic flu, Philippine business, Philippine economy, public service