Philippines asks WHO to help acquire drugs against bird flu

Philippine president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo asked the World Health Organization (WHO) Wednesday night to assist the Philippines to fight against bird flu pandemic using necessary drugs, the government said on Thursday.

President Arroyo made the request to WHO representative to the Philippines Jean Marc Olivier in a roundtable discussion Wednesday night along with Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, Agriculture Secretary Domingo Panganiban and other officials.

Arroyo asked the WHO for obtaining even just supply of tamiflu, the primary antiviral drug used to combat avian influenza (bird flu), of which the Philippines has got no stocks.

Only one drug company, the Swiss-based Roche, has the sole authority to manufacture the antiviral drug, and supplies are heavily concentrated in the developed countries even as the disease is ravaging bird and poultry populations in Southeast Asia, according to Duque.

As early as last year, Duque said the department of health had ordered the drug from Roche but not a single capsule had arrived.

The Philippines feared that the migrating birds will carry the fatal virus to the country after this autumn.

Source: Xinhua