Updates

Singapore Integrates National H5N1 Public/Private Preparedness Effort Based on SARS Lessons Learned

As you all know, Singapore is free from bird flu. Business and social activities continue as normal and Singapore remains a safe country to visit. MOH has on a number of occasions informed the public of its plans to deal with a flu pandemic. So, you may be wondering why we are calling this press conference.   First, we want to reiterate the integrated approach taken by the Government in planning for the possibility of a flu pandemic. Our government agencies are well prepared to cope with such a pandemic and to deal with its impact on our people and economy.   Second, we want to launch a Flu Pandemic Handbook to highlight the importance of Singaporeans working with government by exercising personal responsibility to minimise the impact of a flu pandemic. Every person and every household can and must contribute to this fight in the event of a flu pandemic.   In recent months, we have seen a steady rise in bird flu cases worldwide. Many countries in Asia and Europe have been hit by the virulent H5N1 strain of bird flu and millions of poultry in or near to infected farms have had to be culled as a preventive measure. So far, over 40 countries have had cases of bird flu detected in poultry. The H5N1 virus has also been detected in some mammals such as cats.   More importantly there were close to 200 human cases of bird flu recorded worldwide, claiming over 100 lives. A number of these cases were in countries in our region.   Bird flu poses a serious threat to life and our well-being. The greatest fear is the mutation of the bird flu virus into a form that can be transmitted easily between humans.   According to WHO, so far there is no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission.   However, should the virus mutate such that it spreads easily from human to human, the world could be faced with a potentially devastating flu pandemic.   Singapore may not be spared from such a pandemic. When the pandemic strikes, many will fall ill among whom some will succumb to the disease. It will affect our daily life as people will avoid crowded places. It will deplete our workforce because of illness or workers staying home to care for the sick or young children. This means there will be economic repercussions. There may also be travel restrictions.   Integrated National Effort We must prepare for the worst, even as we hope for the best.   Hence, the Government is adopting an integrated national effort involving all relevant Government agencies.   The scale of the challenge calls for coordination across the whole of Government. A Homefront Crises Ministerial Committee, chaired by DPM Wong Kan Seng, has been providing guidance at the highest level. Contingency plans are being developed to maintain essential services during a flu pandemic. Our response and readiness plans involves various agencies – Ministry of Health (MOH), Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA),  Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA), Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI), Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Ministry of Education (MOE) and many others.   Health Measures As part of the multi-agency effort, MOH has developed a Flu Pandemic Readiness and Response Plan to respond swiftly with public health measures to protect Singaporeans and visitors.   The objectives are:   §                Maintain essential services to limit social and economic disruption; §                Provide treatment to infected persons; and §                Slow and limit the spread of influenza.   Schools The Ministry of Education (MOE) has been in consultation with MOH to help schools prepare for a pandemic flu situation.   If there is a need for school closure in a flu pandemic, MOE and schools will tap channels such as the Internet, the postal service, telephone service and free-to-air broadcast services to communicate with and engage students in learning.   Control of Poultry Farms The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) has a contingency plan to deal with any outbreak of bird flu in the poultry farms here. In addition, the AVA has taken precautionary measures to prevent the importation of infected birds into Singapore. AVA will give you more details of their plan shortly.   Business Continuity Businesses too should expect disruptions in a flu pandemic.   We need the cooperation of companies in Singapore to minimise the economic impact of a flu pandemic. We are encouraging all companies to develop business continuity plans (BCP) so that they are well prepared.   In Feb 06, SPRING Singapore, in consultation with the chambers of commerce, industry associations and MOH, developed a guide to help companies draw up business continuity plans for a flu pandemic. SPRING Singapore is also planning more targeted briefings to the business community.   Public Preparedness The Government is making every effort to ensure that Singapore can cope with a flu pandemic. However this task goes beyond the Government alone.   Every Singaporean should take personal responsibility and contribute to the national response in a flu pandemic.   Public preparedness is therefore vital.   So what exactly should the public be doing? Everyone can play a part by observing the recommended precautions for families and individuals.   To help Singaporean be more prepared for a flu pandemic, my Ministry has produced a comprehensive Flu Pandemic Handbook.   The handbook includes the input of 11 ministries and agencies, and provides basic guidelines and simple precautions. These range from practicing good hygiene to being socially responsible. They include maintaining a healthy lifestyle and observing health advisories, including those on traveling abroad.   The public can and should start observing the recommendations outlined in the Flu Pandemic Handbook, as part of the overall national preparedness effort.   The Handbook, in all four official languages, will be distributed from end April to mid-May to over a million households.   The online version will be available from today on the Government bird flu website. http://www.flu.gov.sg/resources/downloads/FLU_PANDEMIC_GUIDE_ENGLISH_LOW_RES.pdf   The precautions contained in the Handbook will strengthen resistance against many diseases and help us remain healthy. Of course, during a pandemic, more specific health advisories would be issued, depending on the situation and the characteristics of the virus in question.   To enhance public awareness, the Media Development Authority is funding a TV documentary on bird flu and pandemic flu preparedness. Produced by MediaCorp, the 3-episode documentary will be in aired on CNA over 3 weeks, scheduled to begin in late April or early May.   Emergency drills In the second half of this year, MOH will conduct a public exercise whereby infection control measures would be set up in public and private hospitals, with staff doing fever screening and record taking.   The exercise will involve the participation of the public and patients to test the work procedures and processes that have been worked out for crisis situations.   Concluding remarks Singapore’s experience with SARS in 2003 taught us the importance of rallying the people to work with the Government in a crisis. The trust and teamwork proved crucial in helping us overcome the deadly SARS virus. Although a pandemic flu would pose its own unique challenges, a strong partnership between the people and Government would be invaluable in minimising the impact of a flu pandemic.