NABARRO URGES INCREASED PUBLIC EDUCATION, PREPARATION

Health officials must continue to provide as much information as possible to the public and to the media as preparations are made for any public health emergency, Nabarro said.

The U.N. coordinator added that better information about hygiene and biosecurity should be disseminated to small poultry farmers who otherwise might not have access to such information.

International officials are issuing warnings about preparedness because the avian influenza epidemic among animals could evolve into a human influenza pandemic. With an eye toward that potential crisis, Nabarro also discussed the need for governments to develop contingency plans for maintaining continuity of government as well as the rule of law.

"In the event of a pandemic, public services are going to be stretched to their limits and certain regions in the world will be vulnerable to a breakdown in law and order," he said. (See related article.)

According to Nabarro, avian influenza has spread to 20 countries during the last six weeks alone and has recently moved into the Gaza Strip as well as settlements in the West Bank.

"We are very vulnerable," he warned. "Most of us, I think, feel that it's best to be preparing to hunker down."

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