Indonesia warns vaccine inequity could threaten world peace

JAKARTA (Reuters) - The inability of poor countries to get vaccines in the event of an influenza pandemic could threaten world peace, Indonesia's health minister said on Wednesday.

Siti Fadilah Supari said the virus-sharing scheme under the World Health Organization system did not guarantee poor countries access to vaccines and urged developed countries to help the developing world with the technology to produce them.

"If the rule is not changed there will be a huge gap between rich and poor countries and this will perhaps threaten world peace," Supari told reporters.

"If we want the world to be a harmonious place, the poor should be helped with the technology. If the situation remains like this poor nations will become poorer, sicker and more helpless." Indonesia, the nation worst hit by avian influenza with 66 deaths, has created a controversy by saying it will only share samples of the H5N1 avian influenza virus if it has guarantees they will not be used to make vaccines that will profit a company or another country.

Some health and aid agencies criticized Indonesia for refusing to share samples, while others defended the stance because developing countries often struggle to get access to life-saving drugs due to patent laws and high costs.

"Do poor and developing countries have to be sacrificed just because they don't have the technology because of ignorance and poverty?" Supari asked.

Sharing of virus samples is crucial as it allows experts to study their make-up and map the evolution and geographical spread of any particular strain. Samples are also used to make vaccines.

WHO and health ministers from the Asia-Pacific region are due to meet in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, from March 26-27 to sort out the best ways of making sure companies can make more vaccines against influenza, and that these vaccines will be available to all who need them.

The H5N1 avian flu virus has swept through poultry across Asia to Africa and Europe. Experts believe it could mutate into a form that would easily pass from one person to another, killing tens of millions in months.

Few companies make vaccines, and total world capacity is only about 300 million to 400 million doses of vaccine a year -- far below what would be needed in a pandemic.