Indonesia has refused to share bird flu virus samples

Indonesia will not share bird flu virus samples with the World Health Organization (WHO) for as long as it receives a guarantee of free access to a future vaccine, Reuters reported. Issues related to the new system of sharing virus samples were discussed during the Intergovernmental Conference in Geneva by the WHO. According to WHO, in 2007, Jakarta, the organization has expressed only two samples of tissue from the woman who died in August on the island of Bali. Meanwhile, the free access of scientists from around the world to new strains of the virus is essential, as it will follow to mutations and the development of resistance can. In addition, this information is for the development of vaccines against H5N1 avian influenza, which in the case of mutations of the virus and the risk of a pandemic may be necessary, says WHO. At the last conference, the Minister of Health of Indonesia City Fadillah Sapari (Siti Fadillah Supari) insisted on "equitable sharing of benefits from the use of viruses." Health Ministry of the country expected guarantees of pharmaceutical manufacturers from developed countries to obtain, according to which the poorer countries will create access to affordable vaccines against virus samples provided by them. "The talks are stalled because the health minister categorically insists on a material transfer agreement for each virus sample, but not all agree," - said the representative of the Indonesian Ministry of Health Silistiovat Lily (Lily Sulistyowat). With "agreement" means a guarantee that the samples are intended for diagnostic purposes and not for commercial use. Otherwise, the company needs to get the final approval of Indonesia, according to officials. Previously the country Ministry of Health has declared that he wants to secure the intellectual property of the samples of the virus within their territories. Indonesia is now one of the first in the world in the number of victims of avian flu. The country officially registered 91 deaths and 113 cases of human infection with the H5N1 virus.