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Action taken across the region to counter swine flu

Tamiflu Wikipedia
WHO's Africa office says it will strategically pre-position Tamiflu and protection equipment
    BANGKOK

    AUSTRALIA     

  • Government approves tough new powers to detain and disinfect people suspected of carrying swine flu. All incoming flights have to declare any suspected cases on arrival. 
  •  Thermal scanners and extra medical staff sent to airports to screen incoming passengers.
  • Anti-viral drugs stockpiled to cover around 41 percent of the population. Australia has stockpiled 8.7 million doses of Tamiflu and Relenza drugs. Large stores of surgical masks.

    BANGLADESH
  • Travellers, particularly from countries already hit by outbreak, to be screened.

    HONG KONG
  • Will shut schools if one or more confirmed cases found at schools and if there is a sign of the disease spreading.
  • Authorities have 20 million doses of Tamiflu and other anti-flu drugs.
  • Screening at all travel entry points.

    INDIA
  • Stockpiled one million Tamiflu doses covering more than 142,000 people. The government hopes to procure another one million doses in the next 10 days.
  • Surveillance stepped up at airports and ports.

    INDONESIA
  • Temperature scanners installed at 10 airports and ports with immediate effect.
  • At least three million Tamiflu capsules in stock.

    JAPAN
  • Central government has Tamiflu stockpiles for about 22.5 million, and Relenza stockpile for about 2.68 million people, together covering nearly 20 percent of population. Local governments have own stockpiles but figures not available.
  • Checking passengers from Mexico, Canada and the USA at airports.

    MALAYSIA
  • Tamiflu stockpile covering less than 10 percent of the population.

    NEW ZEALAND
  • "Ample stocks" of anti-flu drugs, according to public health officials. Stockpile built up after bird flu scare sufficient to cover around 30 percent of the population.
  • Raised level of national pandemic plan and screening all flights from North America.

    PAKISTAN

  • The Health Ministry has ordered checks for possible swine flu on incoming travellers at all entry points, including airports and sea-ports.
  • The National Institute of Health in Islamabad has said it is coordinating with WHO on preventative measures.
  • A state of high alert has been declared at all airports, with medical staff on the lookout for suspected cases.
  • The Health Ministry has convened a meeting of all relevant government departments, with WHO officials also in attendance. Provincial health, livestock and food departments, and representatives of government hospitals, are to discuss efforts to prevent the disease entering Pakistan.
  • An isolation ward has been set up at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad.
  • High alert declared at Lahore airport after reports of several Mexican passengers on board a flight from Toronto.
  • Government to prepare awareness raising material for public distribution.

    SINGAPORE

  • Thermal scanners at airport and isolation units at hospitals, where staff at some emergency departments are wearing full protective clothing.

    SOUTH KOREA
  • Tamiflu stockpile for 2.5 million people, and is to increase that to 10 percent of 50 million population.

    TAIWAN
  • Current supplies of swine flu treatment cover 10 percent of 23 million population.
  • More than one million face-masks for emergency use.

    THAILAND
  • Government has 320,000 sets of Tamiflu stockpiled. GPO, state-owned drug maker, can produce one million capsules of generic Tamiflu if needed. Thailand has a population of about 65 million.

    PHILIPPINES
  • Government says it has Tamiflu stockpile for 60,000 possible cases and is buying up more supplies but still only sufficient for a small fraction of the population.
  • Airports equipped with thermal scanners, additional medical staff hire to handle swine-flu related cases.

    VIETNAM
  • Visitors arriving from swine-flu infected countries to be isolated.
  • Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam's largest city of more than eight million, has enough stocks of Tamiflu for one million people.

    ly/ds/mw

    • This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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