The purpose of the rapid containment strategy is to help national authorities, with the assistance of WHO and international partners, to stop the development of pandemic influenza when it is initially detected and before the virus has been able to spread more
widely. The strategy evolved from 1) recognition that the potential for widespread harm and social disruption from an influenza pandemic is considerable; 2) recognition, based in part on the experience with SARS, that mobilization of large and complicated public health operations is possible in the modern era; and 3) from mathematical modelling studies suggesting that containment of a pandemic might be possible in the initial stages if the initial outbreak of human cases is localized and antiviral prophylaxis, movement restrictions, and non-pharmaceutical interventions are implemented in the affected area within the first 3 weeks.