Serbia

Influenza is one of the most likely viruses to cause a pandemic - the worldwide spread of an epidemic. Taking this likelihood into account, WHO first developed, after consultation with hundreds of international public health experts, a global pandemic preparedness plan in 1999 and then revised this plan in 2005 and 2009. WHO provided support to countries’ efforts to prepare for a pandemic. Most countries developed pandemic plans based on WHO guidance. The WHO Regional Office for Europe conducted many activities in the Region, jointly with the European Commission and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

During the pandemic, WHO continuously monitored the evolution of the pandemic, and developed guidance for Member States to put in place appropriate measures including enhanced surveillance and active monitoring, assessment of the pandemic characteristics, and recommendations on appropriate measures including medical and non-medical interventions.

WHO’s risk assessments were balanced, independent and transparent. Daily updates, weekly surveillance overviews and guidance from WHO provided the basis for evidence-based decisions by the Member States, especially those with fewer resources to perform their own risk assessments. The ECDC regularly developed and provided independent risk assessments, updated them, discussed their content with their Advisory Forum, which consists of the most credible experts in the European Union (EU) public health institutions.

There was regular interaction between risk assessors and risk managers in the EU system. During the pandemic frequent teleconferences were held with risk managers in the Member States. There was general good collaboration between WHO, EU, ECDC, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), especially considering this was the first major health crisis since founding of WHO. 

The 2009 pandemic found a world that was much better prepared than to respond to this potential pandemic than 5 years earlier. This is partly due to the work of United Nations System Influenza Coordination (UNSIC) and the UN agencies involved in building pandemic preparedness in countries and international organizations. With the emergence of the pandemic WHO assumed its full responsibilities as mandated by the International Health Regulations (2005) to coordinate public health emergencies of international concern. WHO counted on governments’ support and collaboration to meet the rapidly emerging challenge.