GENEVA, Switzerland, Nov. 14 (UPI) -- Among new steps taken to guard against the spread of bird flu, the World Health Organization is seeking an antiviral drug stockpile for Asia.
William Burns, head of pharmaceuticals at Roche, said he had held preliminary discussions with the WHO about creating a pool of donations from richer countries.
These donations, Burns told the Financial Times, would represent 5 percent of their own stockpiles or purchases made with an equivalent financial contribution.
Meanwhile, a global meeting in Geneva drew up plans to control bird flu in animals and simultaneously limit the threat of a human flu pandemic.
More than 600 delegates from over 100 countries agreed on an urgent need for financial and other resources for countries which have already been affected, as well as for those most at risk, and to identify and respond to a human pandemic the moment it emerges.
