International Day for Disaster Reduction

Message of Dr Shin Young-soo, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific Manila, 14 October 2009--Today, the United Nations and its national and nongovernmental partners are observing the Inter ...
[full text]

Ondoy—a test of Philippine optimism and resilience

Life is fragile, handle with prayer.... The slogan is posted above the door of a classroom of Rizal High School in flood-stricken Pinagbuhatan, Pasig. The school became a refuge from rising flood wat ...
[full text]

Flu season starting early in Japan

MANILA, 31 August 2009—Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has reported that the winter flu season appears to have arrived much earlier this year. The information was based on an ongoing su ...
[full text]

Regional Committee to review WHO's work in the Western Pacific

Manila, 27 August 2009—Key health issues, including Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 and the global financial crisis and its impact on health services in Asia and the Pacific, will be on the agenda when leading h ...
[full text]

Deaths linked to Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 rise in Malaysia

MANILA, 12 August 2009–The number of deaths in Malaysia associated with Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 climbed to 38, after additional fatalities were announced by the Ministry of Health in that country. The nu ...
[full text]

Health workers at front line of fight against Pandemic (H1N1) 2009

MANILA, 7 August 2009, 1600 hrs– As the front-line troops in any pandemic response, health care workers face potentially serious risks of infection and illness through the simple act of showing up for ...
[full text]

Malaysia expects pollution haze to boost number of Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 cases

MANILA, 6 August 2009, 1600 hrs– Smoke haze from forest fires is expected to cause a surge of Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 cases in Malaysia, according to local media reports quoting Malaysia’s Health Ministe ...
[full text]

New Zealand urges citizens to be “flu buddies” for friends and relatives

MANILA, 3 August 2009– As the number of deaths in New Zealand linked to Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 climbed to 13, health officials urged people to check up on those who may be unwell but lacked support netw ...
[full text]

Pregnant women face higher risk of serious illness and death from Pandemic (H1N1) 2009

Manila, 31 July 2009—As Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 continues spreading across the globe, there is evidence that pregnant women, particularly in the second and third trimesters, are at higher risk of falling ...
[full text]

Obese people possible high risk of complications from Pandemic (H1N1) 2009

Manila, 30 July 2009— As many as 80% of people who have suffered severe complications from the Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus have had chronic underlying health problems, according to World Health Organiz ...
[full text]

Death of Filipino woman in Hong Kong (China) linked to Pandemic (H1N1) 2009

MANILA, 28 July 2009, 1600 hrs– Several fatalities related to Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 were reported across the Western Pacific Region over the past 24-hours, including the death of a Filipino woman in Ho ...
[full text]

Singapore reports fourth death related to Pandemic (H1N1) 2009

MANILA, 27 July 2009, 1600 hrs– The number of fatalities in the Western Pacific Region related to Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 climbed to 74 after Singapore reported its fourth virus-linked death. Meanwhile, ...
[full text]

Deaths linked to Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 rise in Western Pacific Region

MANILA, 24 July 2009, 16:00 hrs – Additional deaths related to the Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus were reported in Australia and Malaysia as senior health officials in the Western Pacific Region called fo ...
[full text]

Republic of Korea raises alert level as Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 spreads

MANILA, 23 July 2009, 16:00 hrs – Continued spread of the Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus in the Republic of Korea prompted national health authorities to raise the alert to the second highest level and sh ...
[full text]

People living with HIV/AIDS face extra risks from Pandemic (H1N1) 2009

MANILA, 22 July 2009, 16:00 hrs – The emergence of the Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus presents a new set of health challenges to those living with immunosuppressive diseases such as HIV/AIDS. This is part ...
[full text]

Singapore urges high-risk groups to take precautions against Pandemic (H1N1) 2009

MANILA, 20 July 2009, 1600 hrs – Singapore became the latest country in the Western Pacific Region to issue warnings to people at high risk of serious illness from Pandemic (H1N1) 2009, after announci ...
[full text]

Pregnant women warned to take precautions against Pandemic (H1N1) 2009

MANILA, 17 July 2009, 1600 hrs – The risk of serious disease from Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 among pregnant women prompted fresh warnings in Australia and New Zealand that pregnant women wash their hands th ...
[full text]

New data track Pandemic (H1N1)’s early spread in the Western Pacific

The first data snapshot of the initial outbreak of Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 in the Western Pacific Region suggests that the virus started spreading among countries in the Region in the third week of May, ...
[full text]

New Zealand, Australia warn Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 will stretch health system

MANILA, 15 July 2009, 1600 hrs – Health authorities in New Zealand and Australia warned of an increased strain on intensive care units over the next few weeks as cases of Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 continue ...
[full text]

New analysis points to risk of severe disease from Pandemic (H1N1) 2009

MANILA, 14 July 2009, 1600 hrs – Almost 100 Australians are currently in hospital with Pandemic (H1N1) 2009, health authorities said, as a new analysis of hospitalized cases in the state of Victoria ...
[full text]

Singapore ends temperature screening at borders for Pandemic H1N1

MANILA, 13 July 2009, 1600 hrs – Singapore health authorities announced an end to thermal screening of travellers entering the country, as it continued its shift from containment to mitigation of the ...
[full text]

Hand, foot and mouth disease a rising menace in Asia

MANILA, 13 July 2009 - Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is typically a mild illness in economically developed nations, and most patients usually recover quickly. It is, however, emerging as a serio ...
[full text]

Early summer break called for Hong Kong (China) schools to cut flu risk

MANILA, 10 July 2009, 1600 hrs – The summer holidays have been brought forward for 43 secondary schools in Hong Kong (China) in an effort to curtail the spread of Pandemic H1N1 2009, health authoritie ...
[full text]

Australia announces new research into Pandemic H1N1

MANILA, 9 July 2009, 1600 hrs - As its case numbers approached the 7000 mark, Australia announced AU$7 million (US$5.45 million) in funding for research projects to learn more about Pandemic H1N1 2009 ...
[full text]

WHO advises countries with large H1N1 caseloads to curtail lab testing

MANILA, 8 July 2009, 1600 hrs—The World Health Organization said it would ask countries hardest hit by Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 to move away from laboratory testing of individual cases and towards collect ...
[full text]

Brunei Darussalam urges parents to check health of children

MANILA, 7 July 2009, 1600 hrs—Health authorities in Brunei Darussalam cautioned parents to monitor the health of their children before sending them to school, according to local media reports, as the ...
[full text]

New Zealand announces three fatalities linked to Pandemic H1N1 2009

MANILA, 6 July 2009, 1600 hrs—The number of deaths in the Western Pacific Region associated with Pandemic H1N1 2009 increased to 16 in the reporting period to 6 July, after New Zealand reported that t ...
[full text]

Australia and Brunei Darussalam announce fatalities linked to Pandemic H1N1 2009

MANILA, 3 July 2009, 1600 hrs—Australia and Brunei Darussalam announced two deaths associated with Pandemic H1N1 2009, as the number of cases of the disease in the Western Pacific Region neared 12 000 ...
[full text]

Philippine leader chooses quarantine over Pandemic H1N1 2009

MANILA, 2 July 2009, 1600 hrs—Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo went into voluntary quarantine in a Manila hospital after returning from a two-week tour that took her to Japan, Brazil, Colo ...
[full text]

Flying doctors help Australia's influenza effort

MANILA, 1 July 2009, 1600 hrs—Australia’s Royal Flying Doctor Service has stepped in to help evacuate indigenous Australians from remote northern communities as health officials warn that the indigeno ...
[full text]

The Philippines moves from containment to mitigation

MANILA, 30 June 2009, 1600 hrs—The Philippines has become one of the latest countries to move from containment to mitigation in its response to the Pandemic H1N1 2009 virus. Under new measures announc ...
[full text]

Australia announces seventh death linked to Pandemic H1N1 2009

MANILA, 29 June 2009, 1600 hrs—Fatalities in Australia associated with Pandemic H1N1 2009 increased to seven in the reporting period to 29 June as the number of people infected with the virus in the W ...
[full text]

The Philippines cautions high-risk groups over Pandemic H1N1 2009

MANILA, 26 June 2009, 1600 hrs—As case numbers of Pandemic H1N1 2009 continued to climb in the Philippines, health authorities in that country urged people with pre-existing medical conditions to cons ...
[full text]

Death toll in Australia from Pandemic H1N1 2009 rises to three

MANILA, 25 June 2009, 1600 hrs—Australia recorded its third death related to Pandemic H1N1 2009, a 50-year-old woman with life-threatening cancer who died on 24 June after testing positive for the vir ...
[full text]

Australia records second death from Pandemic H1N1 2009

MANILA, 24 June 2009, 1600 hrs—A 35-year-old man from the state of Victoria became Australia's second fatality related to Pandemic H1N1 2009, as neighbouring New Zealand said it expects that the numbe ...
[full text]

Amid spread, Singapore changes tack on pandemic influenza

MANILA, 23 June 2009, 1600 hrs—With two visiting youth football teams under quarantine and the number of cases growing, the Singapore Government has raised its alert level and acknowledged that furthe ...
[full text]

Deaths and two new countries in the Region affected

MANILA, 22 June 2009, 1600 hrs—Australia and the Philippines have become the first countries in the Western Pacific Region to report deaths associated with Pandemic H1N1 2009. The deaths came as the v ...
[full text]

Lao PDR, Macao (China) and Papua New Guinea report first cases of Pandemic H1N1 2009

MANILA, 19 June 2009, 1600 hrs—New laboratory-confirmed cases of Pandemic H1N1 2009 were announced by Macao (China), Lao People's Democratic Republic and Papua New Guinea in the reporting period to 19 ...
[full text]

Samoa reports its first confirmed case of influenza A(H1N1)

MANILA, 18 June 2009, 1600 hrs—Samoa reported its first laboratory-confirmed case of influenza A(H1N1) in the reporting period to 18 June, as the combined total of infections in the Western Pacific Re ...
[full text]

Classes suspended at 11 Philippines schools after new cases of influenza A(H1N1) confirmed

MANILA, 17 June 2009, 1600 hrs—The Philippines announced 54 new laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza A(H1N1) in the reporting period to 17 June, as the total of confirmed infections in the Western ...
[full text]

Cases of influenza A(H1N1) rise beyond 3200 in Western Pacific Region

MANILA, 16 June 2009, 1600 hrs—More than 500 new laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza A(H1N1) were reported in the 24 hours to 16 June by Member States of the Western Pacific Region, taking the Reg ...
[full text]

Five Member States in the Western Pacific Region report new cases of influenza A(H1N1)

MANILA, 15 June 2009, 1600 hrs—Australia reported 84 new laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza A(H1N1) as the number of infections in the Western Pacific Region climbed beyond 2700. No deaths from i ...
[full text]

China reports new cases of influenza A(H1N1)

MANILA, 12 June 2009, 1600 hrs—China reported 28 new laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza A(H1N1), taking its total count to 220 as the Western Pacific Region's tally rose above 2200. No deaths fro ...
[full text]

New cases of influenza A(H1N1) reported in six Member States of the Western Pacific Region

MANILA, 11 June 2009, 1600 hrs—Six Member States in the Western Pacific Region reported new laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza A(H1N1), taking the Region's total count above 2100. No deaths from ...
[full text]

Cases of influenza A(H1N1) top 2000 in Western Pacific Region

MANILA, 10 June 2009, 1600 hrs— Australia reported 13 new laboratory-confirmed cases of the influenza A(H1N1) virus as the total number of infections in the Western Pacific Region increased to 2036. C ...
[full text]

Australia announces 160 new cases of influenza A(H1N1)

Manila, 9 June 2009, 1600 hrs—The number of laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza A(H1N1) in Australia increased to 1211, the highest total in the Western Pacific Region, after that country reported ...
[full text]

New cases of influenza A(H1N1) reported in six Member States in the Western Pacific Region

MANILA, 8 June 2009, 1600 hrs—Laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza A(H1N1) in the Western Pacific Region increased to 1721 after six Member States reported new infections. No deaths from influenza ...
[full text]

Six Member States announce new cases of influenza A(H1N1) in the Western Pacific Region

MANILA, 5 June 2009, 16:00—Australia reported 243 new laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza A(H1N1) as its total number of cases climbed to 876. No deaths from influenza A(H1N1) have been reported i ...
[full text]

Australia, China, Japan and Singapore report new cases of influenza A(H1N1)

MANILA, 4 June 2009, 1600 hrs—Australia announced 132 new laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza A(H1N1) to take the number of infections in the Western Pacific Region to 1 207. No deaths from influe ...
[full text]

New cases of influenza A(H1N1) push Western Pacific Region's total beyond 1 000

MANILA, 3 June 2009, 1600 hrs—Laboratory-confirmed-cases of influenza A(H1N1) in the Western Pacific Region increased to 1 054 after new cases were reported in seven Member States. So far no deaths fr ...
[full text]

Cases of influenza A(H1N1) rise in the Western Pacific Region

MANILA, 2 June 2009, 1600 hrs—The Western Pacific Region's tally of laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza A(H1N1) increased to 935 after six Member States reported new cases of the virus. So far no ...
[full text]

Vietnam reports its first case of influenza A(H1N1)

MANILA, 1 June 2009, 1600 hrs—Viet Nam reported its first laboratory-confirmed case of influenza A(H1N1) as the Western Pacific's count rose to 806 cases. Australia recorded a further 43 cases and Chi ...
[full text]

Australia, China, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea report new cases of influenza A(H1N1)

MANILA, 29 May 2009, 16:00—Australia reported 81 new laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza A(H1N1) to take its total to 147. China, Japan, Singapore and South Korea also announced new cases. So far ...
[full text]

Thirty seven new cases of influenza A(H1N1) in the Western Pacific Region

MANILA, 28 May 2009, 1600 hrs—New laboratory confirmed cases of influenza A(H1N1) were reported in Australia, China, Japan, the Philippines and Singapore, bringing the number of cases in the Western R ...
[full text]

Australia, China and Japan report new cases of influenza A(H1N1)

MANILA , 27 May 2009, 1600 hrs —Australia reported a further eight new laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza A(H1N1), taking its count to 50 cases and the Western Pacific Region's total to 472. Ja ...
[full text]

New cases of influenza A(H1N1) reported in Australia, China and Japan

MANILA , 26 May 2009, 1600 hrs—Australia reported several new laboratory confirmed cases of influenza A(H1N1), including passengers and a crew member aboard a visiting cruise ship. Japan and China als ...
[full text]

79 new cases of influenza A(H1N1) reported in the Western Pacific Region

MANILA, 25 May 2009, 1600 hrs—The Western Pacific Region reported a total 414 laboratory confirmed cases of influenza A(H1N1) after 79 new cases were announced over 23-25 May. Australia, China, Japan, ...
[full text]

The Philippines reports its first case of influenza A(H1N1)

MANILA, 23 May 2009, 1600 hrs—On May 22, Japan reported a further 18 new laboratory confirmed cases of influenza A(H1N1), taking its total case count to 294. Australia and China also reported new cas ...
[full text]

Australia, China and Japan report new confirmed cases of influenza A(H1N1)

MANILA, 21 May 2009, 1600 hrs—On May 21, Japan reported that it had 276 laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza A(H1N1), an increase of 67 cases from the previous day. Australia reported four new cas ...
[full text]

Japan reports 33 new confirmed cases of influenza A(H1N1)

MANILA, 20 May 2009, 1600 hrs—On May 20, Japan reported that it had 209 laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza A(H1N1), an increase of 33 cases from the previous day. Most of the cases are related t ...
[full text]

Japan and China report new confirmed cases of influenza A(H1N1)

MANILA, 19 May 2009, 16:00 hrs—On 19 May, Japan reported that it had 176 laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza A(H1N1), an increase of 47 cases from the previous day. On the same day, China confirme ...
[full text]

Japan and Hong Kong (China) report new confirmed cases of influenza A(H1N1)

MANILA, 18 May 2009, 1600 hrs—Japan reported 104 new laboratory confirmed cases of influenza A(H1N1) on 18 May, taking its total number of confirmed cases to 129. Hong Kong (China) reported one new co ...
[full text]

Japan, China and Malaysia report new confirmed cases of influenza A(H1N1)

MANILA, 17 May 2009, 1600 hrs—Japan reported 21 new laboratory confirmed cases of the influenza A(H1N1) virus over the weekend of 16-17 May, taking the confirmed case count in that country to 25. The ...
[full text]

New Zealand reports two new confirmed cases of influenza A(H1N1)

MANILA, 15 May 2009, 1600 hrs—New Zealand reported two new laboratory confirmed cases of influenza A (H1N1), bringing the total confirmed case count in that country to nine. No deaths from influenza ...
[full text]

Hong Kong (China) reports second confirmed case of influenza A(H1N1)

MANILA, 14 May 2009, 1600 hrs—Hong Kong (China) reported its second confirmed case of influenza A(H1N1) on 13 May. A 24-year old man was admitted to hospital and isolated after arriving in Hong Kong f ...
[full text]

China reports second confirmed case of influenza A(H1N1)

MANILA, 13 May 2009, 1600 hrs—On 13 May, China confirmed that a 19-year-old man from Shandong Province had tested positive for the influenza A(H1N1) virus on his return home from university study in C ...
[full text]

WHO calls for continued vigilance against influenza A(H1N1) in the Western Pacific Region

MANILA, 12 May 2009, 1600 hrs—No new confirmed cases of the influenza A(H1N1) virus were reported in the Western Pacific Region over the past 24 hours. No deaths from influenza A(H1N1) have been repor ...
[full text]

New Zealand, Japan, China report new confirmed cases of Influenza A (H1N1)

For global developmentsMANILA, 11 May 2009, 1600 hrs— China, Japan and New Zealand reported four new confirmed cases of influenza A(H1N1). Hong Kong (China), Australia and the Republic of Korea have a ...
[full text]

Australia and Japan report their first cases of influenza A(H1N1)

For global developments MANILA, 10 May 2009, 1600 hrs—Australia and Japan have reported their first confirmed cases of influenza A(H1N1). The new cases took the total for the Western Pacific Region f ...
[full text]

Another case of influenza A(H1N1) in the Republic of Korea

For global developmentsMANILA, 8 May 2009, 1600 hrs—The Republic of Korea has reported its third confirmed case of influenza A(H1N1). The patient, a 62-year-old woman, had been in Tucson, Arizona. She ...
[full text]

Travellers released from quarantine in Hong Kong (China)

MANILA, 7 May 2009, 1800 hrs—Hong Kong (China) has released a group of people who travelled from Shanghai on the same plane as a Mexican citizen who was later found to be infected with the influenza A ...
[full text]

New Zealand and the Republic of Korea report more confirmed cases of Influenza A(H1N1)

MANILA, 6 May 2009, 1300 hrs—On 4 May, New Zealand reported one more confirmed case of Influenza A(H1N1), bringing the country's total to five since 28 April. On 5 May, the Republic of Korea reported ...
[full text]

WHO calls on governments to stay on maximum alert

MANILA, 4 May 2009 17:00—The World Health Organization has warned that the Influenza A(H1N1) virus newly identified in 2009 remains a threat to global health and that signs of a possible slowdown in i ...
[full text]

First confirmed case of influenza A(H1N1) in Republic of Korea

MANILA, 3 May 2009 16:00—The Republic of Korea officially reported its first confirmed case of influenza A(H1N1) infection to WHO on 2 May. The patient is a 51-year-old female who flew from Mexico Cit ...
[full text]

First confirmed case of influenza A(H1N1) in Hong Kong (China)

MANILA, 2 May 2009 1600 hrs—Hong Kong (China) yesterday announced its first confirmed case of influenza A(H1N1). The patient, a 25-year-old Mexican tourist, boarded a flight from Mexico on 29 April an ...
[full text]

Influenza virus currently circulating should be referred to as “influenza A(H1N1)”, says WHO Director-General

MANILA, 1 May 2009, 1600 hrs - WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan has asked that the new strain of influenza A(H1N1) previously named “swine influenza A(H1N1)” now be referred to as “influenza A(H1 ...
[full text]

Influenza pandemic alert raised from phase 4 to 5

MANILA, 29 April 2009— Based on assessment of all available information and following several expert consultations, Dr Margaret Chan, WHO's Director-General raised the current level of influenza pande ...
[full text]

Swine influenza A(H1N1) in Western Pacific Region

MANILA, 29 April 2009 3 pm - The Western Pacific Region has seen its first laboratory-confirmed cases of swine influenza A(H1N1). On 28 April 2009, the Ministry of Health of New Zealand reported three ...
[full text]

Swine influenza situation in USA and Mexico

MANILA, 26 April — Since 21 April 2009, human cases of swine influenza A (H1N1) have been officially reported in the United States and Mexico. To date, there have been no reported human cases of swine ...
[full text]

World Health Day: Save lives! Make hospitals safe in emergencies

MANILA, 17 March 2009 — World Health Day 2009, on April 7, will be devoted to raising awareness about the need to build hospitals and health facilities that are safe from natural disasters such as ear ...
[full text]

Ebola Reston in pigs and humans in the Philippines

MANILA, 1 February 2009–To date, the Government of the Philippines has announced that a total of five pig handlers thought to have come in contact with sick pigs have tested positive for Ebola Reston ...
[full text]

World Health Day focuses on making hospitals safe in emergencies

MANILA, 1 February 2009 - World Health Day 2009 focuses on the safety of health facilities and the readiness of health workers who treat those affected by emergencies. Health centres and staff are cri ...
[full text]

Shigeru Omi calls for final push on polio

Geneva, 20 January 2009—Dr Shigeru Omi, the outgoing Regional Director of the World Health Organization's Western Pacific Region, today appealed to the organization and its Member States to finish the ...
[full text]

WHO's Viet Nam office launches its own website

Hanoi, 16 January 2009—A new dual-language website has been launched by WHO’s Viet Nam office. The website will serve as an important communication tool for WHO’s partners, the media and the general p ...
[full text]