Beijing Declaration: At the International Pledging Conference on Avian and Human Pandemic Influenza

This declaration resulted from The International Pledging Conference on Avian and Human Pandemic Influenza, convened in Beijing, China on January 17-18 2006 under the co-sponsorship of the Government of the People's Republic of China, the European Commission and the World Bank and in close co-ordination with the World Health Organization (WHO), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). The conference was attended by representatives from more than 100 countries around the world and representatives of international technical and financing agencies, organisations, the private sector and civil society. The conference was organised to promote, mobilise, and help co-ordinate financial support from the donor community for the national, regional and global response to highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) (also known as avian flu or bird flu) and to support efforts at all levels to prepare for a possible human influenza pandemic.

According to the declaration, participants recognised the need to take further co-ordinated actions to strengthen disease surveillance and diagnostics, develop much-needed capacity in human and veterinary health systems, increase public awareness and address social and economic impacts, particularly in countries that are at especially high risk of infection and that have the greatest resource needs. The declaration outlines a number of different commitments that aim to generally build co-ordination and collaboration. Several communication related activities will be developed within the scope of these activities.

The participants commit to developing long-term strategic partnerships between the international community and the countries currently affected or at risk. In the short term, priorities will be given to improving surveillance and detection capabilities, increasing public awareness and fostering community resilience, promoting vaccine
research and development, developing stockpiles of human anti-viral, assisting with response and containment measures in the event of an outbreak and mitigating social, psychological and economic impacts on the population. In the longer-term, priority will be given to developing capacity and infrastructure in animal and public health sectors, as well as undertaking complementary reforms in related sectors at all times that there is a need.

The participants also committed themselves to sharing information and relevant biological materials in a rapid and timely fashion, and to ensuring the development, dissemination and application of good practices of HPAI surveillance, control, and pandemic influenza preparedness in compliance with existing OIE standards on veterinary services and the newly adopted WHO International Health Regulations.

Regarding all of the declarations, the participants also committed to evaluating the results and the impact of national pandemic influenza preparedness and action plans periodically, reviewing and updating them as necessary and updating the global HPAI control strategy and human pandemic preparedness plans by taking advantage of the expertise and the existing technical networks established by UN, WHO, FAO, OIE and other relevant organisations and groups.