Adopted by the WMA General Assembly, Santiago 2005
and rescinded at the WMA General Assembly, Pilanesberg, South Africa, 2006

The World Medical Association recognizes the potential global morbidity and mortality as a result of the H5N1 strain of avian flu. This possibility increases with every passing day as more countries find infected birds in their territories. The WMA will work with member NMAs, the WHO and other stakeholders to track the progress of the disease and propose the necessary measures to minimize its impact on the global human population. The WMA also urges governments to engage with NMAs to prepare for the possibility of a pandemic.