Mexico started hosting a two-day international meeting on Influenza A/H1N1 on Thursday, at which the director of the World Health Organization (WHO) gave a speech on information sharing and lessons learned from the deadly outbreak of the new pandemic.

"I hope this meeting helps us take major steps forward towards building new collective defenses against a menace that affects us all," Margaret Chan, the WHO director-general, told the opening session in Cancun, a beach resort town in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo.

The world already has the advantage of collaboration and solidarity between nations to fight the pandemic, she noted.

"This meeting also sends a message that this nation, which has been hard hit by the pandemic, is a safe place, as well as being beautiful and warm," she added.

Organizers said the meeting's goal is to share experience on the new flu virus. Discussion sessions on the program include "Preparing for the Future" and "Lessons from Highly Affected Nations."

Mexico's President Flipe Calderon inaugurated the meeting, which has drawn 43 health ministers from all over the world.

The WHO said on Monday that A/H1N1 flu had infected 70,893 people in 116 countries and regions, and had killed 311 people.

Mexico has been one of the worst hit countries, recording 116 deaths from the flu.

The next meeting in the series is scheduled for July 7 at WHO headquarters in Geneva, to discuss progress in developing a vaccine for the new flu.

Source: Xinhua