Health profession organizations’ role in pandemic influenza: H1N1(v) experience

Many outbreaks have occurred in Turkey and in the world since many centuries with many deaths and disabilities. Although health institutions concerned with the outbreaks gained experiences during this period, pandemic influenza A (H1N1)v keeps many uncertain details at the moment. World Health Organization declared the situation as pandemic Phase 6, which indicates a global pandemic. Health professionals’ organizations are expected to base their work on both public health and ethics perspective prioritizing to use public resources rationally, to warn political decision makers when required, to raise awareness in the community, etc. Besides, each member of the health professionals’ organization should internalize this basic approach and reflect it to practice. In this paper, the role and responsibility of physicians’ professional organizations in pandemic situations using the pandemic influenza experience which has been achieved since April 2009.