The world’s most senior doctor has hit back at critics who have claimed conflicts of interest blighted the response to swine flu.
World Health Organisation director general Dr Margaret Chan has rejected the allegations in a letter to the British Medical Journal, which published them.
The BMJ criticised secrecy surrounding scientific advisers and WHO’s emergency committee – showing that some advisers were linked to producers of drugs and vaccines.
In her letter Dr Chan said WHO had not "dismissed" critics and had set up an independent committee to review its actions.
She rejected suggestions that WHO had stoked up "unjustified fear".
She said: "The record is otherwise, and not a matter of interpretation. On 11 June 2009, when I announced the start of the pandemic, I drew attention to the fact that the worldwide number of deaths was small, and clearly stated that we did not expect to see a sudden and dramatic jump in the number of severe or fatal infections.
"In every assessment of the pandemic, WHO consistently reminded the public that the overwhelming majority of patients experienced mild symptoms and made a rapid and full recovery, even without medical treatment."
She repeated a promise that names of the emergency committee would be published once it finished its work – saying this had been to protect members from commercial pressure.
She writes: "Without question, the BMJ feature and editorial will leave many readers with the impression that WHO’s decision to declare a pandemic was at least partially influenced by a desire to boost the profits of the pharmaceutical industry.
"The bottom line, however, is that decisions to raise the level of pandemic alert were based on clearly defined virological and epidemiological criteria. It is hard to bend these criteria, no matter what the motive.
"Accusations that WHO changed its definition of a pandemic in order to accommodate a less severe event (and thus benefit industry) are not supported by the facts."
Yesterday WHO published a more detailed account of its actions during the epidemic.
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