The United Nations (UN) has warned that the majority of countries around the world are unprepared for a flu pandemic because they have not tested their strategies for dealing with a global outbreak of the disease.

A total of 148 countries have provided the UN with information about their strategies for dealing with a flu pandemic. However, just 53% of these countries have tested their plans within the last 12-months, and less than 40% had amended their strategies to incorporate lessons learned from tests.

Speaking at a news conference, David Nabarro, Senior United Nations System Coordinator for Avian and Human Influenza, said that the widespread lack of preparation is of great concern, especially since a recent World Bank study indicated that the economic cost of a global pandemic could be in excess of $3 trillion. “When planning for an extraordinary concern like an influenza pandemic, it's not enough just to have written a plan and have everybody signing off on it,” he said. “You also have to check it, test it and make sure that it works, and then revise on the basis of assimilation.”

It is estimated that a mild flu pandemic could kill 1.4 million people around the world; however it warns that a severe pandemic could kill up to 70 million people.

News release: Not enough countries have tested their ‘bird flu' response plans, UN warns. United Nations Website. October 21st 2008.