‘Flu drug shortage puts millions at risk’
And, he said, Ireland does not have the drugs to deal with the type of outbreak that could hit any time.
“We brought some anti-viral drugs in a year ago to deal with the avian flu scare, but the stockpile is not enough because we were competing with other EU countries to buy them,” Mr Martin said.
The shortage was revealed by Mr Martin following a meeting of EU health ministers in Cork, which Ireland hosted as holder of the EU presidency.
Mr Martin identified a need for governments and pharmaceutical companies to work at a pan-European level to deal with an influenza pandemic.
Following the summit, the 25 EU health ministers agreed to take a joint approach towards securing a sufficient stockpile of anti-viral drugs from the drug companies to deal with such a problem.
The most deadly influenza pandemic, the Spanish flu outbreak of 1918, killed about 20 million people worldwide. Health experts have warned that the next global influenza pandemic could wipe out more people than both world wars combined.
While Europe has not seen a pandemic for over 30 years, EU Health and Consumer Affairs Commissioner David Byrne said the World Health Organisation has warned we cannot be complacent.
“It is not a question of if an influenza pandemic will hit, but when it will hit,” Mr Byrne said.
He added that the EU’s relationship with the pharmaceutical industries was critical to fighting any new influenza pandemic with sufficient drugs and in creating a new vaccine when one was necessary.
The EU health ministers also agreed to review their national action plans for dealing with an influenza pandemic and to co-operate in drawing up a joint EU approach to the problem.
Mr Martin said an Irish group is currently working on a plan for the country. He said he was satisfied a constitutional amendment was not needed to declare a state of emergency that would force people to stay in their homes and shut down schools and businesses in the event of a crisis.
The 25 EU health ministers also agreed to set up a high level group on health services and medical care to determine exactly how patient mobility within the member states can be implemented in practice.
