“Bird Flu Blues - Part 2”

Background

Dr. David Nabarro Dr. David Nabarro (born in 1949), works as the Senior UN System Coordinator for Avian and Human Influenza at United Nations Headquarters in New York. He has been seconded to this position from the World Health Organization.

Having had a good experience with helping third world countries in the field of medical care, 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.

Nabarro joined WHO in January 1999, as Project Manager, Roll Back Malaria, then moved to the Office of the Director-General, as Executive Director, from March He transferred to the Sustainable Development and Healthy Environments cluster in He was appointed Representative of the Director General for Health Action in Crises in July Since then he has been responsible for taking forward efforts to improve WHO's performance in crisis settings, with an emphasis on preparedness, response and recovery.

Bird Flu More dangerous than climate change or global terrorism, according to many experts, is the possibility that the world is facing a devastating flu pandemic. One such pandemic, in 1918, killed as many as 100 million people.

Will the Avian Influenza virus now plaguing several Asian countries spread rapidly to all parts of the work? Can it be stopped, or will it be the most cataclysmic event of our times? What is the international strategy to fight it? These issues are explored in depth in this edition of World Chronicle with the leader of global efforts to stop this bird flu, Dr. David Nabarro, the UN System Influenza Coordinator.

Words and Expressions

pandemic A pandemic is an occurrence of a disease that affects many people over a very wide area. e.g. They feared a new cholera pandemic.

imminent If you say that something is imminent, especially something unpleasant, you mean it is almost certain to happen very soon. e.g. There appeared no imminent danger.

anarchy chaos ； If you describe a situation as anarchy, you mean that nobody seems to be paying any attention to rules or laws. e.g. Civil war and famine sent the nation plunging into anarchy.

containment control; The containment of something dangerous or unpleasant is the act or process of keeping it under control within a particular area or place. e.g. Fire crews are hoping they can achieve full containment of the fire before the winds pick up.

disperse When something disperses or when you disperse it, it spreads over a wide area. e.g. The oil appeared to be dispersing.

meaty You can describe a part of someone's body as meaty if it is big and strong. e.g. He looked up and down the corridor, meaty hands resting on his thighs.

superb excellent, outstanding; If something is superb, its quality is very good indeed. e.g. The waters are crystal clear and offer a superb opportunity for swimming.

recommendation A recommendation of something is the suggestion that someone should have or use it because it is good. e.g. The best way of finding a solicitor is through personal recommendation.

stockpile A stockpile of things is a large quantity of them that have been stored for future use. e.g. The two leaders also approved treaties to cut stockpiles of chemical weapons.

antibiotics Antibiotics are medical drugs used to kill bacteria and treat infections. e.g. Your doctor may prescribe a course of antibiotics.

laissez-faire Laissez-faire is the policy which is based on the idea that governments and the law should not interfere with business, finance, or the conditions of people's working lives.

catalyst You can describe a person or thing that causes a change or event to happen as a catalyst. e.g. I very much hope that this case will prove to be a catalyst for change.

scenario If you talk about a likely or possible scenario, you are talking about the way in which a situation may develop. e.g. If the vessel is holed close to the water line, there could be two alternative scenarios,

consortium A consortium is a group of people or firms who have agreed to co-operate with each other. e.g. The consortium includes some of the biggest building contractors in Britain.

disruptive To be disruptive means to prevent something from continuing or operating in a normal way. e.g. Alcohol can produce violent, disruptive behavior.

quarantine If people or animals are quarantined, they are stopped from having contact with other people or animals. e.g. Dogs have to be quarantined for six months before they'll let them in.

veterinary Veterinary is used to describe the work of a person whose job is to treat sick or injured animals, or to describe the medical treatment of animals. e.g. It was decided that our veterinary screening of horses at events should be continued.