November 21, 2005

UN will establish early warning system for bird flu

The UN said it would establish an early warning system for bird flu, to alert countries of incoming migratory birds that might potentially carry the deadly H5N1 strain of the virus.

The new system is expected to be operational in one to two years, and would give precise details of the types of wild birds and their exact migratory patterns. This would allow countries adequate preparation time. 

Bird migrations did not all occur at the same time, as they depended on local or seasonal variations in climate, according to a UN official. Thus, an early warning system was needed.

While scientists, governments and experts worldwide had information about migratory birds, there was little transparency, he added.

Under the new system, all collected information would be centralised in a global computerised system. Migratory patterns of wild birds would be constantly updated and monitored by the system, thus warning countries of any potential threat. 

For the project, a team of experts would collect information, maps and charts from governments and relevant wildlife organisations.

The UN said mainly developing countries would benefit from the new system, as many lacked sufficient resources to take nationwide preventative measures. This is because the early warning system would identify higher risk areas that could be targeted for action, allowing greater cost effectiveness than a general nationwide approach.

According to the UN, between US$200,000 and US$300,000 would be required to establish the early warning system.