The Wall Street Journal reports on recent comments by WHO Director-General Margaret Chan who said while global health officials' response to the H1N1 pandemic reflected progress in the world's ability to battle emerging infections in recent years, challenges remain. "Some health systems 'do not have the basic capacity to even detect and diagnose the virus. Some have the capacity, but with the huge number of patients requiring medical attention, intensive-care units and emergency rooms are really, really stretched,' [Chan] said," according to the newspaper.

"More must be done to improve vaccine technology and increase capacity enough to allow officials to mount a massive, rapid global vaccination campaign that could thwart a deadly virus, she said." Chan also expressed concerns over the spread of H1N1 into developing countries and warned of the importance in the continued monitoring of the virus (McKay, 12/31).

This article is republished with kind permission from our friends at The Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery of in-depth coverage of health policy developments, debates and discussions. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for Kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. 2009 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.