Health authorities to discuss approach to fight A/H1N1 virus

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With A/H1N1 influenza still high on the worldwide health agenda, health officials and experts from 43 countries have gathered in Mexico for a two-day meeting to discuss how to confront the virus.

Mexico's President Felipe Calderon (L) and Margaret Chan, Director General of World Health Organization, attend the first summit of "Lessons Learned and Preparedness of Swine Flu" in Cancun July 2, 2009.REUTERS/Gerardo Garcia

Thursday's meeting aimed to build a new collective defense around the globe against the virus.

Participants gathered to share experiences in fighting the disease, and evaluate the current situation.

The WHO says it has received commitments from two vaccine companies to offer a total of 150 million doses to developing countries. But it also noted that this would not enough.

Margaret Chan, WHO Director-General, said, "We are also mobilizing resources, myself and the secretary general himself, to get resources to buy vaccines at tier pricing, affordable costs for developing countries."

Governments have so far pledged billions of dollars for a vaccine to combat the flu, while the W-H-O is still seeking ways of increasing production of vaccines.

Margaret Chan, WHO Director-General, said, "There's a lot of things that need to be done in the next few months, to find the best formulation to enable the maximum number of dosages that can be produced."

The WHO says researchers may have a vaccine by August. But it also noted that tests to determine its safety would need to be done before making it available to the public.