WHO announcement Swine Flu Pandemic Still Assessed Rushing

World Health Organization (WHO) announced that the H1N1 or pandemic flu is still a pig, although the period of most intense activity seemed to have passed. But according to Minister of Health of the Republic of Indonesia, the announcement was too hasty.

As quoted from its website on June 3, 2010, the WHO announced that the H1N1 or better known as the pig is still a pandemic flu. WHO Director General Margaret Chan said that the current level of pandemic alert is still in the highest possible, ie stage 6. WHO will review this decision in July.

Global updates given to the Emergency Committee on the situation of a pandemic, including a special focus on developments in Africa and the southern hemisphere. The most active areas of transmission of influenza viruses currently in the tropics, especially in parts of the Caribbean and Southeast Asia.

"Announcement of the WHO declared pandemic H1N1 too hasty," said Dr Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih, MPH, DR. PH, Health Minister of the Republic of Indonesia, in his speech opening the symposium 'Current Situation and Prevention Influenza' at Hotel Borobudur, Jakarta, Saturday (05/06/2010).

Dr Endang said that these actions were too hasty, because WHO only considers the area affected by the spread, does not take into account mortality rates as well. WHO's actions have also been criticized from many countries because it uses a loose parameters.

According to Director General of Disease Control and Environmental Health (P2PL) Ministry of Health, Prof. Dr. Tjandra Yoga Aditama SPP (K), MARS, DTM & H, DTCE, there are inconsistencies concerning the definition used by the WHO pandemic.

WHO has stated that classified pandemic if the cause of death is widespread and spreading. But the announcement of the H1N1 pandemic is only based on the total area affected by H1N1 that much.

But with the announcement of this H1N1 pandemic, the government of Indonesia has taken the national strategies in an effort to prevent the spread of the increasingly widespread.

"WHO announcement about this H1N1 pandemic actually, there are also positive. The government became more alert to deal with doing a lot of prevention," said Prof. Cissy B. Kartasasmita, dr., Sp.A (K), MSc, PhD, Professor of Child Health and an expert UNPAD lung and airway son of Dr. Hasan Sadikin Hospital, Bandung.