New Avian Flu Coordinator Grossly Overstates Possible Death Toll...

[Marleyb]

...First Day In Office
http://bellaciao.org/en/article.php3?id_article=8681

Dr. David Nabarro, named on Thursday as the UN coordinator for global readiness against an outbreak, had said that the world response would determine whether a flu virus ends up killing 5 million or as many as 150 million.

"There is obvious confusion, and I think that has to be straightened out. I don’t think you will hear Dr. Nabarro say the same sort of thing again," WHO influenza spokesman Dick Thompson told a news briefing...

On Friday, WHO’s flu spokesman at the agency’s Geneva headquarters made a surprise appearance at a media briefing to put Dr Nabarro’s comments in context...

But he(Dick Thompson) also said the WHO believes the estimate of 2 million to 7.4 million deaths, based on a study by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "is the most reasoned position," according to a Reuters report.

As quoted by AFP, Thompson also told reporters, "We can’t be dragged into further scare-mongering."...

Is it possible that someone is using the Avian bird flu for their own purposes? Bush wants to use it to get rid of Posse Comitatus, and it appears that congress is using it to give a gift to the pharmaceutical companies. While congress is allocating 3.1 billion to treat 20 million people, Finland is paying 25 million to treat 5 million.

[firefox]

1. $5 in Finland, $155 in US

Ours is probably better.

[neweurope]

2. You serious?

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Remember Fallujah

Bush to The Hague!

[firefox]

3. No. The pill companies are looting the treasury n/t

[neweurope]

4. Ah ok :) Was afraid there for a minute.

:toast:

----------

Remember Fallujah

Bush to The Hague!

[Marleyb]

5. I wonder who nominated Dr. David Nabarro

First day on the job, the guy suggests that 150 million might die, it then becomes the top headline in US media. The next thing ya know, the senate is already allocating $4 billion, and now Bush latches onto it as an excuse to do away with posse comitatus.

Anyone else wonder about this statement "We can’t be dragged into further scare-mongering."

Who is dragging them into scare-mongering?

[Avalux]

6. UN Secretary General - Kofi Annan did

Nabarro is formerly of the WHO - here's a small bio.

"David Nabarro, MD, Conference Co-Chair
Executive Director, Sustainable Development and Healthy Environments
World Health Organization

David Nabarro is the World Health Organization's Executive Director for Sustainable Development and Healthy Environments. He also serves as Senior Policy Advisor to the Director-General. He joined WHO in 1999 as Project Manager for the Roll Back Malaria Program, then moved to the Office of the Director-General, as Executive Director in 2000. David Nabarro qualified as a physician in 1973, then worked in the UK National Health Service. In 1976 he worked for two years as District Child Health Officer in Dhankuta District, East Nepal. He then moved to the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and was seconded back to Save the Children Fund in 1982 as Regional Manager for the Fund's work in South Asia, based in the region. In 1985 he joined the Liverpool School of Medicine as a Senior lecturer in International Community Health. He moved to the British Overseas Development Organization as a Strategic Adviser for Health and Population in East Africa, based in Nairobi in 1989. He then took up the post of Chief Health and Population Adviser, at the ODA London Office in 1990, and moved on to become Director of Human Development (as well as Chief Health Adviser) as ODA was transformed to the Department for International Development in 1997."

http://globalhealth.org/view_top.php3?id=347

[Avalux]

7. 150 mil was at the extreme end

He did say from 5 to 150 million worldwide, the more likely scenario is closer to 5 million.

Not trying to defend the guy, but the reality is - no one really knows.

[Mojorabbit]

8. He WAS giving the low end

of what most virolgists believe.No one believes the CDC's estimate of around 7 million, not even the CDC. It is too low. It was a political decision to make him lowball it after his initial assessment after pressure from governments was put on the WHO.