The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean would like to clarify several important points relating to inaccurate statements made recently which may cause confusion or concern among the people of the Region.

1- WHO reiterates that according to the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005), endorsed by all Member States, the main responsibility of the Organization is to ensure that all Member States are kept informed of public health events of international concern that threaten international health security.

WHO’s role and responsibility, and its constitutional mandate, is to verify the accuracy and validity of information regarding health situations and to provide Member States with evidence-based recommendations enabling them to take appropriate and correct action in order to respond to whatever health threat may occur. On this basis, WHO has provided all such available data, information and recommendations concerning the new influenza A(H1N1) virus.

In doing so, there was no intention to cause panic or restrict international trade and travel. WHO works tirelessly with Member States to avoid such concerns and to ensure security and stability of normal life, as long as that is feasible and does not impede implementation of safety measures.

2- In its recommendation of treatment of any disease, WHO does not endorse specific trade marks. Recommendations for disease management are based on best scientific evidence. When oseltamivir was recommended as an appropriate treatment for human cases of avian influenza and influenza A(H1N1), WHO did not advise Member States to purchase the medicine from specific companies, noting that there are several companies in both developed and developing countries that manufacture oseltamivir.

Contrary to what has been stated by uninformed sources, WHO approached several companies and succeeded in reducing medicine prices to enable Member States to provide their citizens with medicines at the lowest possible prices. WHO has also distributed its strategic stock of oseltamivir (2 400 000 doses) to 72 developing countries.

3- When WHO developed, some years ago, the six phases of the influenza pandemic alert system, it specified the epidemiological criteria for each phase. When these criteria are met, as decided by a committee of internal experts, it is the responsibility of WHO to announce a new influenza pandemic alert phase immediately so as to alert Member States in order that they can prepare and respond appropriately. The pandemic alert phases indicate the extent of geographical spread of a disease, not the aggressiveness or severity of the disease.

Geographical spread and severity should not be confused. Severity is determined according to specific epidemiological parameters and is based on a range of factors that include the virulence of the virus, the resistance of the host, the waves of a pandemic and the capabilities of health systems to respond.

It is incorrect to state that the announcement of alert phase 5 or 6 means that countries will be paralysed and daily activities halted, especially if countries immediately activate their contingency plans. At no time have such claims ever been made by WHO in its reports, publications or statements.