Public health leaders from 40 countries have gathered in Johannesburg to discuss the Global response to the H1N1 influenza commonly known as swine flu. The four-day meeting will see members of the International Association of National Public Health Institutes discuss issues related to the screening and containment of the influenza.

South Africa will be more interested in the pandemic's impact on international travel ahead of the 2010 Soccer World Cup. Scores of people are expected to flock to the country next year for the world's biggest soccer tournament.

Countries are also hoping to learn more about vaccines available for swine flu as well as collaborations with other countries in dealing with the pandemic.

H1N1 flu vaccine

In August, South Africa’s Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said the country has no choice but to develop its own H1N1 flu vaccine.

"South Africa has arrived at a situation where we have no option but to start developing our own vaccine capacity, not only for H1N1, but generally," Motsoaledi said in Parliament.

The World Health Organisation declared swine flu a pandemic in June. It has killed some 1 800 people after spreading to nearly 180 countries, 25 of them in Africa. In June the latest figures from South Africa's National Institute for Communicable Diseases indicated that 15 people have died from the virus and over 5 000 cases have been reported.

Swine flu, which mostly hits pregnant women and young children, has infected about 182 000 people worldwide, according to official figures, although health experts and scientists say the real tally is probably in the millions.