PLANNING UNDERWAY BY MOH FOR POSSIBLE AVIAN INFLUENZA

The Ministry of Health has reaffirmed its commitment to protect the country   from a possible outbreak of the avian influenza or as it is commonly known the’ bird flu’. Plans are in place to keep the influenza out of Samoa, manage the influenza if it does reach our shores and to recover from this killer as quickly as possible if it can not be averted.

 The World Health Organization has noted that “Once a fully contagious virus emerges, its global spread is considered inevitable. Countries might, through measures such as border closures and travel restrictions, delay arrival of the virus, but cannot stop it. The pandemics of the previous century encircled the globe in 6 to 9 months, even when most international travel was by ship. Given the speed and volume of international air travel today, the virus could spread more rapidly, possibly reaching all continents in less than 3 months.”

The Ministry of Health is working with other key government Ministries, the private sector and NGOs to develop appropriate and realistic plans for preventing or delaying, managing and recovering from an influenza pandemic in Samoa. Together with the Ministry of Agriculture Forests and Fisheries (MAFF) there is joint efforts to keep a vigilant look out for any outbreaks of disease, or unusual deaths, among domestic animals. These will be priority investigation by the MAFF. Both Ministries are encouraging farmers to report any unusual events promptly and to cooperate with necessary investigations.  Chickens that become sick or die should not be used for food or handled unnecessarily.

Samoa does not import any poultry or poultry products from countries affected by the avian influenza outbreaks.  The MOH and the Quarantine Division of MAFF constantly monitor the status of outbreaks in countries exporting products to Samoa and can review import permits at any time.  There is no need to avoid these products at the present time, but as always they should be prepared safely and cooked thoroughly.  The World Health Organisation advises that any influenza virus present in poultry meat or eggs would be inactivated by proper cooking.

Risk of (human) influenza pandemic
The main risk to Samoa from the current avian influenza outbreaks in Asia and Europe will occur if and when the bird flu virus mutates to become a new human influenza virus that can be easily transmitted from person to person.  The avian influenza virus is currently more widespread than ever before, meaning that there is a greater risk of human contact and thus of mutation to human virus.

 What the Ministry of Health is keeping a close watch on is if a new human influenza virus arises out of the avian influenza which would have the potential to spread rapidly around the world and cause a pandemic, because people would not have any immunity to such a new virus.  

Preparedness issues for Samoa

The MOH led planning process is putting in place:

·        Border control plans to protect Samoa from the virus.

·        Rapid public health action if a case is detected. 

·        Plans for the maintenance of essential services – including health services – in the event that the new virus begins to spread widely within Samoa. 

·        Plans to minimize severe illness and death, as well as ensuring the least possible social disruption. 

·        Various technical groups have been and are being set up to work through the many issues that may arise, and will be carrying out community consultations to ensure that the wider public is informed and participates fully in the planning process.

     Further information

     Further information and updates will be available via the MOH website           
     http://www.health.gov.ws/

FUAFUAGA FAA-TAATIA A LE MATAGALUEGA O LE SOIFUA MALOLOINA MO LE ONO OO MAI O SE ISI ITUAIGA O FLU E AAFIA AI TAGATA SOIFUA.

O le aso ua faalauiloa aloaia ai e le Matagaluega a le Soifua Maloloina ana fuafuaga
ma tapenaga mo se faamai flu e ono pepesi I le lalolagi e aofia ai ma Samoa.

Ua faaalia e le Ofisa Sili o Pulega a le Matagaluega o le Soifua Maloloina, “E tusa ma le $2 miliona le aofai o le seleni ua fuafuaina e le Kapeneta ma le malo mo lenei faamomoe.”

E tusa ai ma molimau faasaienitisi mai le Faalapotopotoga a le Soifua Maloloina o le Lalolagi, afai o lea pepesi se flu mo tagata soifua ona o le flu o manulele poo nisi lava mafuaaga e suia ai uiga ma foliga o le siama vairusi o loo aafia ai manulele, o lea tele se avanoa e ono pepesi ai se faamai flu e aafia ai tagata soifua ma ono oo atu ai I tulaga afaina tele ai le soifua o tagata I soo se atunuu e aofia ai ma Samoa.

 O loo ua galulue faatasi nei la le Matagaluega o le Soifua Maloloina  ma nisi o Matagaluega a le malo, o faalapotopotoga tumaoti ma  ofisa tumaoti ina ia tuufatasia taiala ma fuafuaga mo galuega faatino e puipuia ai Samoa mai le ono aafia I le pepesi o le flu. O nei taiala ua faavae mai i taiala mo puipuiga a le malo o Niu Sila e aofia ai ni vaega se lima(5)

      1.Sauniga mo le oo mai o le faamai

      2.Tetee atu le oo mai o le faamai

      3.Taofia vave le pepesi o le faamai

      4.Gaoioiga fai ina ua aafia

      5.Togafitiga e tatau ona faia mo I latou ua aafia

 Influenza (flu)

Ua masani le silasila ma le faafofoga a le mamalu o le atunuu I lenei faamai o le flu, a ia aua nei galo e eseese ituaiga. E tele ituaiga siama vairusi  e maua ai le flu. O nei siama e ola ma filogia ai le ea ma e taatele  I taimi o le  le tau malulu I atunuu malulu faapea foi ona maua I atunuu taumafanafana e iai Samoa.

E ui ina mafai ona toe faafoisia atoatoa le malosi o se tagata ua maua I le flu, ae e mafai foi e lenei flu ona oo atu ona aafiaga i tulaga o ooooga matautia,  aemaise lava i tamaiti laiti ma tagata matutua  o loo maua I nisi o gasegase  pea tuai ona togafitia. E oo atu lava ina maliu pea afai o loo aafia i nisi o gasegase faigata. 

O lea la le eseesega o lenei ituaiga flu faa-vaitaimi ma le flu ua masani ai tatou?

Flu o manulele I atunuu I fafo

O lo o  ua lapataia mai e le Faalapotopotoga a le Soifua Maloloina a le Lalolagi ua le o toe mamao ona oo mai lea o lenei ituaiga flu I soo se atunuu o le lalolagi  talu mai le tausaga 1968 lea na afaina ai ni vaega se tele o le lalolagi i lenei  lava faamai. Ua afua lea lagona ona o lo o maitauina pea le faatupulaia pea o le aofai o manulele o lo ua aafia i le vairusi o le flu manulele i atunuu Asia faatasi ai ma Europa. E ui o le faamai lenei e fitoitonu lona afaina tele ai o manulele, o lo ua maitauina foi le mafai ona pipisi atu o lenei siama I tagata soifua aemaise lava i latou o loo galulue ma vavalalata lo latou fesootaiga ma manulele. O ni suesuega faapitoa ua mautinoa ai e 130 le aofai o tagata ua mafai ona aafia i le siama o le flu o manulele i le lalolagi ma ua faamaonia foi  ua ova atu nei ma le afa o lenei faitau aofai ua maliliu.

Tulaga o aafiaga o Samoa i le flu o manulele

Atonu o lea le tele se afaina o Samoa I lenei faamai aua ua nao ni nai manulele e laiti lona faitau aofai  o lo o mafai ona felelei mai ma sopoia mai lo tatou atunuu. Peitai e leo tuua le galuega fai faatasi a le Matagaluega o le Soifua Maloloina ma le Matagaluega o Faatoaga I le suesueina o manulele ina ia mautinoa le saogalemu mo le mamalu o le atunuu aemaise lava pea tulai mai ni faafitauli e le masani ai o pei o le faatamaia o ola o ia ituaiga o meaola. E fautuaina foi la le mamalu o le au fai lafu manu ma le au fai faatoaga ina ia vave ona ripotia ni faafitauli faapenei I le Ofisa o Faatoaga ma ia mautinoa moa ua mamai e faatamaia ae aua nei faaaogaina mo le fofoga taumafa..

O le taimi nei e leo iai ni moa o aumaia I atunuu e pei ona pepesi ai le flu o manulele.  O loo mataituina nei e le Matagaluega o le Soifua Maloloina ma le Ofisa o Faaasu a le Matagaluega o Faatoaga ma Faigafaiva tulaga o fefaatauaiga o taumafa o moa ma oloa e maua mai moa ina ia mautinoa le saogalemu, aemaise o oloa o loo aumai i atunuu o loo aafia i le flu o manulele.  E leo iai ni taumafa moa a Samoa o aumaia I atunuu o loo pepesi ai le flu manulele. O le fautuaga lava e sili ona taua, ia faavela lelei lea o le kukaina o aano manu fasi aemaise lava i taumafa tau moa ma nisi o manulele o loo faaaogaina mo le fofoga taumafa e tusa ai ma fautuaga tuuina mai a le Faalapotopotoga o le Soifua Maloloina o le Lalolagi.

 Aafiaga o tagata soifua i lenei ituaiga flu fou

O itu e ono aafia ai Samoa i le ono pesia i lenei faamai flu, pe afai e ono suia le vairusi ua aafia ai manulele i se vairusi e ono pepesi mai i leisi tagata i leisi tagata.  E oo mai i le taimi nei e lei maua se faamaoniga maumaututu o le pipisi atu o le siama mai leisi tagata i leisi tagata. Sei vagana ai tagata ua aafia ona e mafua mai i lo latou fesootai vavalalata ma manulele ua aafia I le flu.

Ae peitai, afai e maitauina le fesootai vavalalata o tagata ma manulele ua aafia, o lea ono iai loa se tulaga o aafiaga o tagata i le flu ua aafia ai manulele ma avea ai loa ma siama vairusi e aafia ai tagata soifua e pipisi mai i leisi tagata i leisi.

Ua maitauina foi le vave tele ma faigofie ona  pipisi  o lenei vairusi i manulele i le taimi nei pea faatusatusa atu I tausaga ua mavae. O lona uiga ua atagia mai ai le ono lamatia o tagata soifua. O lea tulaga o lea ono tele le avanoa e pepesi ai lenei flu i le lalolagi ma aafia ai tagata soifua ona o nei ituaiga o vairusi e faigata ona foia aemaise pea afai e vaivai puipuiga faa-natura e ono tetee atu I nei siama.

O fuafuaga a le Faalapotopotoga a le Soifua Maloloina o le Lalolagi mo se faamai flu e pipisi ona o suiga o tulaga o loo iai nei le flu manulele e aofia ai le; faapitoa o se nofoaga e taofia ai i latou ua aafia, faaaogaina o vailaau e faatamaia ai siama ma le ono faaaogaina o vailaau e foia ai le faamai flu. O le a fuafuaina ai foi ma vailaau e ono tapeina ai lea ituaiga o siama pe a ma le 4-6 masina e faatali ai.

Sauniuniga ma tapenaga mo Samoa

Afai o lea iai sea ituaiga faamai flu fou mo tagata soifua, o lea matua faigata ona taofia lona pipisi. O lo ua taulamua nei la le Matagaluega o le Soifua Maloloina I le sailia lea o ni auala e puipuia ai Samoa ma ona tagata mai lenei ituaiga o faamai. Poo lea lava le taimi e oo mai ai lenei flu o tagata soifua I totonu o si o tatou atunuu, ua saunia lava auala faa-le soifua maloloina e fesoasoani ai I o tatou tagata. O le vaai mamao foi lea a atunuu uma o le lalolagi ina ia tetee atu I lenei ituaiga faamai ma faaitiitia ai ni faafitauli e ono tulai mai e pei o le maumau o soifua o tagata ma afaina ai le atinae o soo se atunuu.

O lea ua iai nei ni sui o loo galulue i suesuega ma o le a fesoasoani tele ina ia faamalamalamaina i le mamalu o le atunuu fuafuaga uma ua faataatitia e lau Matagaluega a le Soifua Maloloina faatasi ai ma nisi o Matagaluega, Ofisa tumaoti ma le tele o faalapotopotoga eseese i totonu o Samoa. O lo ua matou galulue faatasi nei foi ma le tele o atunuu o le Pasefika ma le lalolagi atoa i fesootaiga talafegai ai e maua ai faamatalaga i soo se taimi ma fautuaina ai pea le mamalu o le atunuu.

 Ma lou faaaloalo lava

Palanitina Tupuimatagi Toelupe

OFISA SILI O PULEGA
MATAGALUEGA O LE SOIFUA MALOLOINA