ITIJITIJ Page 22 Page 26 Page 28 Page 30 International Travel Insurance Journal ISSUE 58 • NOVEMBER 2005 ESSENTIAL READING FOR TRAVEL INSURANCE INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS Europe panics at Pakistan overwhelmed by quake crisis avian flu threat On 8 October, a massive earthquake rocked Pakistan and northern India, The deadly strain of bird flu that has killed resulting in the extensive destruction of approximately 60 people in Asia has spread to property and the loss of thousands of Europe and the continent is in panic. Leonie lives. Initial estimates suggested that at Bennett reports on what is being done to stem the least 33,000 persons perished, now it spread of the virus seems this number is more likely to be around 80,000. Leonie Bennett reports On 13 October, scientists confirmed that the bird flu virus was found in poultry in Turkey, the first time Most of the casualties from the that the virus has been found outside Asia, marking earthquake, which measured 7.6 on the a new phase in the virus’s spread across the globe. Richter scale, were from Pakistan. The Then, on the 17 October, it was established that epicentre of the quake, which lasted for the virus had infected Romanian birds. It was over a minute, was near Muzzaffarabad, confirmed as the H5N1 strain that it is feared can capital of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, at mutate into a human disease, potentially spiralling 9:20 a.m. Indian Standard Time. Tremors out of control and threatening the lives of millions of were reported in Delhi, Punjab, Jammu, people worldwide. European Union officials Kashmir, Uttaranchal, Himachal, Pradesh confirmed that the latest spread was likely due to and Rajasthan, although no casualties or birds migrating across the Black Sea from Russia to damage were reported in those areas. head south for the winter. Survivors have been wading through The discovery has led European governments to mountains of rubble in search of place rush orders for millions of doses of vaccines, survivors, food and clean water. With as such as Tamiflu, and to prepare emergency plans for many as five million people left homeless an outbreak. Health officials throughout Europe are and living in the open, and freezing urging people, especially those in high-risk groups, temperatures, rescue and recovery such as the elderly and children, to get inoculated teams are much needed. with the standard winter flu jab immediately. The “Indications are that almost 50 per cent mass orders are not just to protect vulnerable of the homes have been destroyed,” citizens, but also to provide drug firms with the capital Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said. Twenty-four hours may trigger landslides in the region’s still unsettled government has established a Federal Relief they need to build up manufacturing capacity so they after the earthquake, President Pervez Musharraf hills and mountains. Helicopters have been Commission to boost co-ordination of the massive can quickly make mass doses of the vaccine against a made an urgent televised appeal for international grounded during the storms, further delaying the relief operation, in the hope that it will streamline mutated virus in the event of a general outbreak. aid. Medicine tents and blankets for the displaced delivery of emergency supplies. After four days, relief operations in collaboration with the provincial The virus originated in Southeast Asia, has moved are urgently required. areas still had not received supplies. government, relevant ministries, NGOs, the Red through China and Russia, and has resulted in the Rescue efforts have been slow to get underway. Islamic Relief spokesperson, Waseem Yaqhoob, said Crescent and other international agencies. slaughter of more than 140 million birds. In ITIJ’s last Heavy equipment is still in short supply, and many he thought the deaths would reach 80,000, maybe Countries around the world have launched appeals report on the virus’ deadly path (see ITIJ 56, remote towns and villages are still inaccessible, more: “This could get close to tsunami levels. It’s to fund relief efforts, in much the same way as September 2005, Bird flu threat keeps growing), it expect by air or on foot. Authorities fear the rains horrific. It really is terrible.” The Pakistan continued on p.38 was still moving through Southeast Asia. So far, however, it is thought that the virus appears to only have the ability to pass from bird to bird. “There is no evidence that the virus has mutated into a form allowing it to pass from person to Canadian travel insurers see continuing market growth person,” David Nabarro, the United Nations (UN) co-ordinator for avian and human influenza, said in a Thanks to a resilient snowbird community, in inbound and outbound traffic after the 2003 SARS the snowbird market – retired Canadians aged 55 statement on 11 October. However, although the burgeoning traffic with the Orient, and diversifying experience caused tourism to Canada, particularly and older travelling out of the country for at least 30 World Health Organization (WHO) said that it has travel trends among younger flyers, Canadian the province of Ontario, to plummet. Since 2003, consecutive days, usually during the winter, to the ‘no convincing evidence’ of sustained human-to- travel insurers can anticipate a buoyant market when Canadians took just over 15 million trips out southern US. The CBoC data reveals that in 2003, human transmission, it suspects ‘limited transmission well into the foreseeable future, suggests new of the country, the outbound trip figures have there were approximately 526,000 Canadians in between humans’ in cases in Cambodia, Thailand research data from the Conference Board of ‘bounced up resiliently’ to 16.8 million in 2004 and this snowbird category who travelled abroad – and Vietnam. Canada (CBoC). Milan Korcok investigates Canada’s are projected to hit almost 19 million in 2006. This mostly to the US, some to Mexico. That is up “If it acquires the capacity to co-opt humans as a potential is up substantially from the previous recent low of substantially from 457,000 in 1998. The CBoC carrier, it will set off a pandemic that could end the 14.3 million outbound in 1998, but the 2006 projects the 2005 number of snowbird trips to hit lives of millions and, if history holds true, could alter Speaking to the annual meeting of the Travel Health projection will still not top the previous all time peak 654,000 (a healthy 7.2 per cent more than the the culture, the politics and the prosperity of Insurance Association of Canada, in Toronto, in of 19.5 million in 1991. previous year), and to attain 687,000 in 2006. millions more,” US health and Human Services September, David Redekop, principal research For travel insurers, the biggest variable in this The CBoC rates the value of the Canadian travel secretary Michael Leavitt said. He did add though: associate for the CBoC, reported a strong rebound outbound trend may be the continued resilience of continued on p.2 continued on p.38 2 NEWS Lessons learned in Bali bombs Suicide bombers destroyed the lives of 23 people and International SOS, another major regional maimed 100 others on the resort island of Bali, at medical assistance company, air-lifted five three restaurants in Jimbaran, with their shrapnel victims on a Beechcraft 1900D air ambulance ITIJITIJ and nail-laced explosives. At the bigining of October to Singapore and two victims to Darwin from International Travel Insurance Journal another bomb went off in Kuta, where bombings in Bali. Three air ambulances – a Beechcraft October 2002 killed more than 200 people. They 1900D, a Lear 35 and a Lear 45 – were also were, however, met with a smooth response from activated and made four trips to evacuate WHAT’S IN the emergency services. Miles Clarke reports seven patients. The hunt for the masterminds behind the Admittedly, the bombs on the evening of 1 October massacres continues in Bali and on the island of THIS ISSUE? wreaked far less havoc than those of the Sari Club and Java. Public anger is swelling against the Islamist Paddy’s Bar in Kuta in October 2002, but lessons radicals behind the bombings, with Balinese have clearly been learnt. As the nearest country with openly questioning why terrorists receive an Western medical services, Australia was quick off the easier run through the justice system than drug REGULARS mark, with the Royal Australian Air Force evacuating a couriers. It is suspected that the bombers may dozen of the seriously injured to Darwin. The 12 be linked to Jemaah Islamiyah; the al-Qaeda- News 1 Australian patients, all on stretchers and some with affiliated group the government holds Editorial comment 4 extensive burns, were loaded into individual responsible for the earlier Bali attack. Grapevine 5 ambulances parked in front of Sanglah general hospital Bali hoteliers implemented an emergency plan before setting off for the airport. The patients were immediately after the bombings. Some 66 Insurance matters 8 flown on a special military evacuation Hercules hotel general managers were alerted by SMS Company brief 14 airplane that was also used to help victims of last within 30 minutes of the first blast and set about Health matters 16 year’s tsunami in Indonesia’s Aceh province. An locating their guests and confirming their wellbeing. If Air ambulance news 18 Indonesian patient, accompanied by his wife, was also they were unable to find their guests, they set about Canadian travel transported to Australia aboard the same flight for advising the embassies of the country of origin of the Travel matters 20 emergency surgery. guests. Tight security was also put in place at all hotels News analysis: The chief executive of Mondial emergency response in the wake of the attacks.