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NEW YORK, USA, 28 April, 2009 As the World Health Organization (WHO) warns of an increased likelihood of a pandemic of swine flu also known as H1N1 UNICEF is working with its UN partners to prepare for a potential outbreak. VIDEO: Watch now The value of UNICEF, in addition to WHO, is that it has the capacity to work with local communities to get the message through about what people can do to protect themselves, said UNICEF Senior Health Advisor Dr. Osman David Mansoor. The virus appears to be spreading with some rapidity. New cases of swine flu are being reported in countries as far apart as Israel, Spain, the United States and New Zealand in addition to Mexico, where the first cases of human infection were reported. It shows that with air travel the virus can get to any place in the world very quickly, noted Dr. Mansoor. WHO has raised its pandemic alert from level three to level four, which means that there is an increased likelihood of a pandemic but not that a pandemic is inevitable. I think in two weeks or so well find out whether this is the start of a pandemic of global scale or whether its not very much because the virus is not sufficiently adapted to humans, said Dr. Mansoor. To read the full story, visit: http://www.unicef.org/avianflu/index_49526.html

• Release Date

  Apr 28, 2009

• Runtime

  02:03