Institute of Public Health Belgrade
Monday morning, I had a fantastic meeting with Dr. Predrag Kon. He is the Head of Immunization at the Institute of Public Health Belgrade. Their health department is much like the regional health departments in Tennessee. There is a central health department, with health departments in each municipality. They have similar programs - Health Promotion, Biostatistics, Disease Prevention and Control, Microbiology, Environmental Health, and Eco-Toxicology. Dr. Kon has dealt with outbreaks of bird flu in birds.
In 2006, there were positive swans in two zones in Serbia. In one of the zones, there were 9 dead swans that were found near a small pond. Public Health quarantined (voluntary) a 10 km2 zone around where the dead swans were found. This area encompassed a village. In this zone, more than 700 domesticated birds were culled and tested by the Ministry of Agriculture. All of them were negative except for a rooster. This rooster had been outside (unlike the other birds) because the owner had recently died. He was probably infected by the swans or through contact with the pond area. The more than 100 people in the village were checked for respiratory symptoms, and three of them were sent to the hospital for testing. They were immediately given Tamiflu and were put in isolation, but the test results were negative for H5N1. Interesting!!
He said that Serbia is prepared for avian flu, but not for pandemic flu. They are forming working groups to include the Ministries of Education, Trade, Internal Affairs, and Local Government. They have stockpiled some Tamiflu (20,000 doses) and will continue to stockpile for 1% of the population. I asked if this will be used for treatment or prophylaxis. He said that the decision will be made in the field by public health. Tamiflu is not pre-positioned, it is being held in one place in Serbia. It is in a location in which it could arrive within 4 hours to any part of Serbia. They are not stockpiling vaccine.
I asked him about public education about pandemic flu. He said that they are giving seminars to healthcare workers and the media. It is hard to reach the public. Less than 5% of the population uses the internet. They have not encouraged people to stockpile food and water yet, but will. Interestingly enough, they will encourage stockpiling enough supplies for 2 MONTHS. Wow!
Hospitals in Serbia are state-owned. Public Health has provided guidance to the hospitals on how to plan, but he doesn't think there has been much planning yet.
He gave me a book called "Influenza in Serbia: Socioeconomic effects and policy issues of a potential pandemic". He also gave me a lovely booklet about their health department.
In 2006, there were positive swans in two zones in Serbia. In one of the zones, there were 9 dead swans that were found near a small pond. Public Health quarantined (voluntary) a 10 km2 zone around where the dead swans were found. This area encompassed a village. In this zone, more than 700 domesticated birds were culled and tested by the Ministry of Agriculture. All of them were negative except for a rooster. This rooster had been outside (unlike the other birds) because the owner had recently died. He was probably infected by the swans or through contact with the pond area. The more than 100 people in the village were checked for respiratory symptoms, and three of them were sent to the hospital for testing. They were immediately given Tamiflu and were put in isolation, but the test results were negative for H5N1. Interesting!!
He said that Serbia is prepared for avian flu, but not for pandemic flu. They are forming working groups to include the Ministries of Education, Trade, Internal Affairs, and Local Government. They have stockpiled some Tamiflu (20,000 doses) and will continue to stockpile for 1% of the population. I asked if this will be used for treatment or prophylaxis. He said that the decision will be made in the field by public health. Tamiflu is not pre-positioned, it is being held in one place in Serbia. It is in a location in which it could arrive within 4 hours to any part of Serbia. They are not stockpiling vaccine.
I asked him about public education about pandemic flu. He said that they are giving seminars to healthcare workers and the media. It is hard to reach the public. Less than 5% of the population uses the internet. They have not encouraged people to stockpile food and water yet, but will. Interestingly enough, they will encourage stockpiling enough supplies for 2 MONTHS. Wow!
Hospitals in Serbia are state-owned. Public Health has provided guidance to the hospitals on how to plan, but he doesn't think there has been much planning yet.
He gave me a book called "Influenza in Serbia: Socioeconomic effects and policy issues of a potential pandemic". He also gave me a lovely booklet about their health department.
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