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Geneva (pte039/28.05.2003/16:03) - The World Health Organization (WHO) http://www.who.int has become more powerful as a result of the SARS epidemic. In the future, the WHO will be able to issue world advisories on diseases without waiting for permission from governments.
Up to now, the WHO had to wait for a country in which a disease had broken out to give its approval before warning neighbouring countries. However the 192 member states have now passed a resolution that allows the WHO to issue warnings based on other reliable information sources.
In the case of an international threat the organisation may, for example, refer to reports from NGOs and news media. The WHO will nevertheless attempt to confirm reports with the country in question.
The organisation is also authorised to issue world advisories in the case of an international health threat. The general director of the WHO will also be authorised to send in a team to ensure that the proper measures to stop the spread of a disease are taken in each country. If a country refuses to cooperate, the WHO can send in its own investigators.
WHO speaker Dick Thompson said the resolution would not have been passed had it not been for SARS. He stressed the importance of reporting the outbreak of a disease as soon as possible.
China has been heavily criticised for not immediately reporting the outbreak of the deadly lung disease. The WHO and China's neighbour states were only informed once the epidemic had already spread to Hong Kong and Vietnam. (newsfox-special SARS)
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