ASEAN Urged to Help Raise Funds to Fight Bird Flu
Date: 30-Sep-05
Country: PHILIPPINES
Author: Dolly Aglay
The world animal health body OIE, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) plan to hold a bird flu conference in December to try to raise the $102 million they say is needed to contain the virus.
"This proposed global strategy was prompted by increasing human deaths in affected countries and is also a means to prevent it from spreading in countries that are still free from bird flu," Morzaria told reporters on the sidelines of the meeting.
The proposed programme needs the endorsement of the 10-member ASEAN bloc to give it credibility among donor countries and multilateral agencies, said Subhash Morzaria, chief technical adviser of the FAO in Asia and the Pacific.
Agriculture ministers from the Association of South East Asian Nations began meeting in the Philippines on Thursday to discuss measures to curb bird flu, including the creation of a regional animal health trust fund.
The ASEAN ministers are due to discuss the measures with their counterparts from China, Japan and South Korea on Friday.
On Monday through Wednesday, senior agriculture and forestry officials from the delegations had held initial sessions.
Ronel Abila, regional coordinator of the OIE in Southeast Asia, said the money raised at the conference in December would be used to help affected countries and to fund research, training of personnel and other campaigns against bird flu.
Earlier this week, the FAO said its appeal to halt the cycle of bird flu infections in animals and for more funding in May had received a lukewarm response from donors.
Morzaria said on Thursday those expressing support included the United States Agency for International Development, the Japan International Cooperation Agency, the Canadian International Development Agency and several European Union countries.
Multilateral lenders such as the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank also indicated their willingness to fund the programme, he added.
Health experts have warned that bird flu could set off a pandemic if it gains the ability to be transmitted easily between humans.
Bird flu has killed 66 people in four Asian countries since late 2003 and has been found in birds in Russia and Europe.
Millions of birds have been destroyed, causing estimated losses of $10 billion to $15 billion to the poultry industry, said Morzaria.
Thailand, the fourth largest poultry exporting country in the world, has lost $1.2 billion, Vietnam $200 million and Indonesia $170 million, he said.
