Bird Flu & Business!

Businesses have been urged to prepare for a potential outbreak of bird flu by reviewing and updating their crisis management and continuity plans before it is too late. IT analysts Gartner also advised organisations to ensure that their organisations plan from the boardroom down through basic operations for a possible pandemic whose course and consequences could potentially prove to be catastrophic.

According to the World Health Organisation, if an avian flu pandemic breaks out, the scale of infection might be considerably greater than it was with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which infected 8,096 people and killed 774 in 2003. The 2003 SARS outbreak suggests that a pandemic would effect international and local travel, supply chains, health systems, personnel and schools. It would also have direct economic impact on most industries, but particularly travel, tourism and hospitality.

Does your organization have a Business Continuity Plan (BCP) in place?