WORLD Health Organisation (WHO) at the weekend reported 3,872 laboratory-confirmed human cases of pandemic (H1N1) Swine flu virus, including 11 deaths in 21 African countries as it today began the 59th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa at the Conference Centre of Serena Hotel in Kigali, the Rwandan capital.

The breakdown of confirmed cases and deaths showed that South Africa topped the chart with 3,485, followed by Kenya, 85; Mauritius, 69; Tanzania, 53; Cape Verde, 37; Namibia, 34 and Algeria, 33. Ghana with eight cases and Cameroun with four cases are the only countries in the west coast with reported cases. Nigeria is yet to report any case officially.

"Swine flu spreads four times faster than other viruses and 40 per cent of the fatalities are young adults in good health," WHO Director General, Margaret Chan, told France's Le Monde daily in an interview at the weekend.

"This virus travels at an unbelievable, almost unheard-of speed.

"In six weeks, it travels the same distance that other viruses take six months to cover," Chan said.

"Sixty per cent of the deaths cover those who have underlying health problems," Chan said. "This means that 40 per cent of the fatalities concern young adults - in good health - who die of a viral fever in five to seven days.

"This is the most worrying fact," she said, adding that "Up to 30 per cent of people in densely populated countries risked getting infected."

All countries in the region, according to WHO, have activated their national emergency preparedness and contingency response plans

"A crisis management team has been put in place by the Regional Director at the regional office (Brazzaville) and the sub regional levels (Intercountry Support teams in Harare, Zimbabwe, Gabon and Burkina Faso) to work closely with countries to boost their disease surveillance to ensure that any suspected case of Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 is detected early.

Stockpiles of relevant medicines have been dispatched to all countries in the region as well as mapping laboratory and human resources capability at country and regional levels to enable WHO to support member states to respond rapidly to any suspected outbreaks," the agency said.

The emergence of the Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Pandemic puts an additional pressure on health systems of African countries already stretched with other competing public health priorities, said Dr. Luis Gomes Sambo, the WHO Regional Director for Africa.

In April 2009, the first case of Influenza A H1N1 was reported in Mexico. Since then, the virus has spread to other parts of the world, affecting over 166 countries with confirmed cases in excess of 174,913 and 1,411 deaths.

Health Minister, Professor Babatunde Osotimehin, is leading the Nigerian delegation in the four-day Regional Committee of WHO's Governing Body in the African Region, which is expected to consider a report on the work of the world health body in the region in 2008 to be presented by the Regional Director, Dr. Luis Sambo.

The report will provide a comprehensive review of the work of WHO in the region, highlighting successes achieved and challenges faced in the pursuit of the organisation's mandate of helping to improve the health situation in member states.

A highlight of this year's meeting will be the nomination of a new director for the WHO African Region, the global body's Programme Budget for the 2010 to 2011 biennium, and orientations for its implementation in the African Region.

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