In order to minimise the negative impact of the pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza, the close coordination at global level of all affected sectors is necessary. To promote this coordination, the Commissioner for Health, Androulla Vassiliou, together with Swedish Minister for Elderly Care and Public Health, Maria Larsson, will open tomorrow in Brussels the conference "Influenza at the interface between humans and animals."

About 400 specialists in public and animal health will participate. High level speakers from the European Commission and international organisations, such as the World Health Organisation, the World Organisation for Animal Health and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, are expected to highlight the need for cross cutting policy cooperation across borders in order to minimise the spread of the H1N1 virus in both the human and animal populations over the coming months.

Risk assessment strategies, research needs and the use of vaccines are some of the areas the participants will address.