Avian Influenza : a great danger

to Africa ?

The virus of Avian Influenza is in progress. Avian influenza, or “bird flu”, is a contagious disease of animals caused by viruses that normally infect only birds. Avian influenza viruses are highly specific, but have, on rare occasions, crossed the species barrier to infect humans.

From mid-December 2003 through early February 2004, poultry outbreaks caused by the H5N1 virus were reported in eight Asian nations : the Republic of Korea, Viet Nam, Japan, Thailand, Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Indonesia, and China. Most of these countries had never before experienced an outbreak of Avian influenza in their histories.

After Asia, this bad news concerns several European countries such as Italy, Hungary, Germany, France... But also Africa with several cases in Nigeria. Last week, the scientific confirmation of a highly virulent strain of H5NI Avian influenza in a commercial poultry farm in northern Nigeria, has the makings of a potential nightmare. As noted by the World Organization for Animal Health (O.I.E.) and the World Health Organization (W.H.O.), this is the first reported case of the virulent strain of H5NI Avian influenza in Africa.

Accordind to the WHO that if the spread of Avian flu in Nigeria is due to migratory birds, then it is likely that other African countries along the migratory pathway should anticipate outbreaks. Since more than 80 percent of African families keep domestic chickens and other birds at home for income-generating and nutritional purposes, it is very clear that a human-to-human form of virulent Avian flu could occur, and in devastating proportions. The risk is thus enormous in a continent concerned by many difficulties.

A Guardian journalist considers that “for a continent battling H.I.V./AIDS and other infectious diseases, an unchecked outbreak of human strains of Avian flu will be catastrophic”. An Independant journalist sounds an alarm “on the lack of preparation against Avian flu in many African countries, the lack of a solid, coordinated continental response, and the lack of technical and logistical capacities to deal with massive outbreaks in animal and human populations”.

The biggest difficulty concerns funding to fight the spread of the virus.

But another question arises. Last week, the international community mobilized 1,9 billion dollars to fight against this pandemia. For the leader-writer of «Time Magazine », Bryan Walsh, “it is a lot of money to fight against a virus which has, for the moment, killed less than one million people.” In fact, the author is concerned about this mediatization around the avian influenza which threatens to divert funds promised to other dangers. For him, “this money is in danger of wrong exploitation. Every day, 6,600 Africans die from AIDS, 3,000 from malaria and 24,000 of hunger.”

Three billion dollars a year would be enough to fight against Malaria, but last year, the international community only succeeded in mobilizing 600 million.

I don’t say that justifies the inaction against Avian influenza. But it’s a question of priorities. Which problem should be solved in first ?