Egypt plans for pandemic

Via Reuters, an IRIN report: EGYPT: Contingency planning for an avian flu pandemic . Excerpt:

Egypt, the country hit hardest by avian flu in the Middle East, is working on preventative measures to stop a potential human influenza pandemic.

The government, the UN World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) have put together a national contingency plan to boost rapid containment procedures, and build capacity to cope with a pandemic.

A potential human influenza pandemic could come about if the H5N1 bird flu virus mutates to allow human to human transmission.

Training exercises - involving the simulated conditions of a pandemic - are being organised in all 26 governorates. So far training teams have been formed and assigned to the governorates of al-Beheria, Menia, Gharbiya, Munufiya, and Sharqiya.

Muhammad Fawzi, director of a committee at the Centre for Future Studies - a government research institution with representatives from the ministries of defence, military production, health and population, interior affairs, environment, and foreign affairs - worked with governors to create the plan, based on WHO and Egyptian government recommendations.

I don't see any mention of this plan on the truly awful Egyptian government English-language bird flu page.