"The problem in Africa is that the surveillance systems are not as good as in the western world ... there will be more cases," Frew Benson, of South Africa's National Department of Health, said (7/14). AFP/Google writes: "NICD warned that South Africa was a unique case among other countries hit by swine flu, because the nation has the world highest HIV caseload" (7/13).

"Should an outbreak of severe pandemic influenza occur in West Africa, most countries in the region would be armed with plans that look good on paper but are untested and underfunded, according to health experts," IRIN reports in an article that explores West Africa's pandemic preparedness. The article also highlighted the WHO's efforts to help African nations prepare for H1N1. "WHO is supporting six laboratories in Africa - in Algeria, Cote d'Ivoire, Senegal, two in Nigeria and South Africa - to test and treat [H1N1] helping countries set up surveillance systems, assisting governments to create national response plans and is sending limited stocks of Tamiflu to treat [H1N1] to countries worldwide," the news service reports (7/14).

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