World Health Organisation news conference on bird flu

Описание: (22 Mar 2006)

1. Wide interior of delegates taking seats at "Social Determinants of Health" Conference
2. Delegates, including World Health Organisation (WHO) regional director Dr. Shigeru Omi (centre left) and Vice Chinese Minister of Health Wang Longde (centre right)
3. Wide cutaway of delegates
4. Cutaway of delegates
5. Wide reverse of conference
6. SOUNDBITE: (English) Dr. Shigeru Omi, Director of the Western Pacific Regional Office, World Health Organisation:
"The government of China committed that they will provide animal samples to our collaboration centres, so it is already - process started. And I hope that we'll get the samples... very shortly."
7. Cutaway reporters
8. Henk Bekedam, World Health Organisation representative to China
9. SOUNDBITE: (English) Henk Bekedam, World Health Organisation representative to China:
"As you know we have expressed our concern through the UN Aids office."
(Q: Have you got any response?)
"We have, we have spoken to the government, and I think through the government they are following it up, but we haven't received any specific details about his whereabouts, etcetera."
10. Wide of news conference
11. Close moving shot of reporters trying to ask Chinese Vice Minister Wang Longde a question about missing Aids Activist Hu Jia
12. SOUNDBITE: (Mandarin) Wang Longde, Chinese Vice Minister of Health:
"I am not sure, with 1.3 billion people here you are asking me about one of them and his whereabouts? How could I know where he is? That's crazy."
12. Reporters trying to ask questions as Wang leaves

STORYLINE:

China has agreed to give the World Health Organisation bird flu samples from infected animals following complaints that Beijing was hampering vaccine research by withholding such samples, WHO officials said on Wednesday.

The agency expects to receive about 20 virus samples within a few weeks, WHO officials in Beijing said at a news conference.

Experts say such samples are needed to develop diagnostic tools and vaccines, and they have criticised China's Agriculture Ministry for refusing to release them to foreign scientists.

Chinese officials have been accused of withholding samples to boost the status of China's own scientists and possibly increase chances that they might develop a potentially lucrative vaccine.

China's bird flu strain differs from the one affecting Thailand and Vietnam, and a prototype vaccine already developed by the WHO based on the Vietnamese strain would not be effective in combating the Chinese strain, a WHO spokeswoman aid.

The samples will go to a WHO-affiliated lab in either Japan, Hong Kong, Australia or Britain where they will be injected into animals, possibly ferrets, that will generate antibodies to the virus, she said.

The WHO regional director for Asia, Dr. Shigeru Omi, said the collaboration with the Chinese government had started already and that he hoped to get the samples "very shortly."

He also said China had to improve its surveillance of animals for possible bird flu outbreaks.

Speaking about Chinese AIDS activist Hu Jia, who disappeared while under police guard last month, Henk Bekedam, World Health Organisation representative to China said he had no idea of his whereabouts.

Chinese officials also have given no explanation.

Wang Longde, Chinese Vice Minister of Health, said "I am not sure, with 1.3 billion people here you are asking me about one of them and his whereabouts? How could I know where he is? That's crazy."

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