China gains recognition for responses to H7N9

GENEVA - China has gained international recognition for its immediate and effective responses to the human infections with H7N9 virus, a side event on Influenza A (H7N9) showed Tuesday.

The Chinese delegation to the 66th World Health Assembly and World Health Organization (WHO) convened the side event, which gathered officials and experts from international organizations and relevant countries to exchange information and discuss common methods for the prevention of the epidemic.

Chinese Health Mininster Li Bin briefed the experts and officials on the cases of human infections with H7N9 avian influenza virus in China.

She said, 'the disease, which is of sporadic nature and preventable and controllable, has seen neither qualitative change nor virus mutation.'   And no human-to-human transmission was detected and proved based on available evidence, she said.

The minister said that the Chinese government has effectively implemented the International Health Regulations, promptly notified the WHO and relevant countries and regions of the epidemic, and shared the virus strains with international community.

Margaret Chan, Director-General of WHO, said that the H7N9 influenza was an issue that deserved international attention and collaboration to find solutions.

She said that the global public health and research communities have benefited greatly from China's sharing of genetic sequence data.

Lauding China's prompt response to the new deadly disease and close cooperation with WHO, the WHO chief said that a 50-page report of the joint China-WHO mission on human infection with the new virus has described the Chinese response as extraordinary.

Keiji Fukuda, Assistant Director-General of WHO, said that the general model of China's response was quite applicable to any big and complicated outbreak.