Nations urged to name flu ministers

LONDON— Countries should appoint a government minister to co-ordinate their response to the avian flu threat, a senior U. N. official said in comments published today.

David Nabarro, the U. N. co- ordinator for global readiness for an outbreak, said close government co-operation would be crucial in overcoming any outbreak.

“ I would like to see a person in each government given authority to bring all parts of government together for pandemic preparedness and quickly,” he told Britain’s Times newspaper. “The key to combating this threat is joined- up government. It was the same with SARS and it will be the same with regards to influenza.”

Scientists fear if the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu passes from birds to humans on a large scale it could mutate into a variety that could spread easily between humans. The virus has killed more than 60 people in Asia since it first appeared there in 1997. H5N1 has now been detected in Romania and Turkey and Greece is testing a turkey to see if it has that strain. The United Nations co- ordinator urged countries, companies and scientists to work together to find a vaccine. Nabarro said rich countries had a duty to help poorer nations in the fight again a virus which can easily cross borders.

“ The preparedness of the world depends not so much on who is strong, but on who is weak,” Nabarro said.

“ We cannot hang around too long because a pandemic could be imminent,” the United Nations official said.