Bird Flu

Going by the history, India was a major victim of the Spanish flu during 1918 and 1919. An estimated 17 million, about 5% of the population died in India alone which is more than the total died in World War I. The mortality rate was extremely high at around 50 deaths per 1,000 people. In the Indian Army, almost 22% of troops who caught the disease died of it. With the current infrastructure setup, it is much easier for the flu to spread its wings and in such case the mortality rate in India would be severe. And thanks to the recent legislation the pharmaceutical companies have limited scope to imitate life saving drugs. Indeed the Government has to accelerate its bureaucratic boundaries and get the skates on to tackle Bird flu.