21 August 2009, Beijing – The Government of China has an important role to play in the global fight against Pandemic H1N1, including in the area of vaccine development and production for the developing world, said the World Health Organization at an international experts meeting held in Beijing today.

These comments were made by Dr Shin Young-soo, WHO's Regional Director for the Western Pacific, at the International Scientific Symposium on Influenza A (H1N1) Pandemic Response and Preparedness, a two-day meeting hosted by China's Ministry of Health with the support of the WHO and The Lancet. It was opened by

Chinese Vice-Premier Li Keqiang, and WHO's Director-General Dr Margaret Chan through a video address.

"I am pleased by China's preparedness and response to H1N1, given its large population," said Dr Shin, after a presentation by Chinese Health Minister Chen Zhu about the country's H1N1 situation and vaccine development progress. "We are also very encouraged by preliminary but promising results from the clinical trials of H1N1 vaccine."

Responding to an appeal for equitable H1N1 vaccine distribution to developing countries, Dr Shin said, "We would greatly welcome an initiative by the Chinese Government to support developing and needy countries in a fair distribution of this vaccine."

Some 1000 people attended the symposium, including health ministers and experts from Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Canada, China, the European Union, Japan, Mexico, Myanmar, South Korea and the United States of America, among other affected countries.

For more information, please contact:

Vivian Tan
Communications Officer
WHO China
Tel: +86 10 6532-7191
Fax: +86 10 6532-2359
Email: tanv@wpro.who.int