CD47/INF/5. Influenza Pandemic: Progress Report; 2006

Influenza is a viral disease that affects both animals and humans. When a new strain of influenza virus emerges and adapts to enable transmission from person-to-person, the disease can quickly spread far and wide, resulting in a pandemic. The disruption caused by influenza pandemics is often compared to natural disasters, but a pandemic is likely to cause both widespread and sustained effects and is thus likely to stress the resources of every Member State. Such a strain will challenge the possibility of shifting resources and emphasizes the need for all countries to develop National Influenza Pandemic Preparedness Plans (NIPPPs).