Java is front line in bird flu battle<\/p>\n
Rendi A. Witular, The Jakarta Post\/Busan, South Korea<\/p>\n
As the human death toll for avian influenza in Indonesia rises,
\nSingapore and the United States are planning to begin a pilot
\nproject here to combat the outbreak.<\/p>\n
The two countries, assisted by the World Bank and under the
\nguidance of the World Health Organization (WHO), will set up a
\ncenter of bird flu containment in an infected area in the
\ncountry, presidential spokesman Dino Djalal said here on Friday.<\/p>\n
\"If the pilot project is deemed successful, it will be applied
\nin other infected areas or in other countries,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The decision to launch the project was delivered during a
\nbilateral meeting between President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and
\nSingapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on the sidelines of the
\nAsia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders meeting.<\/p>\n
Indonesia is facing difficulties fighting the outbreak alone,
\nraising concerns among the international community that the
\ncountry could become a breeding ground for the virus to spread
\nbetween humans and cause a global pandemic.<\/p>\n
During the past nine months, 11 people have contracted bird
\nflu here, with seven people dying from the virus. Seventeen other
\nsuspected cases are in hospitals in Java and one other is being
\nmonitored in Bali.<\/p>\n
At least 64 people have died in Asia from bird flu after
\ncoming into contact with infected birds. Some 150 million poultry
\nhave been culled in the region but migrating wild birds have
\nensured the spread of the disease has continued unabated.<\/p>\n
Dino said Susilo and Lee also spoke about the progress of the
\nnegotiations to create an extradition treaty between the two
\ncountries, which he called a \"very constructive negotiation.\"<\/p>\n
Cooperation in defense and security and efforts to step up the
\nfight against terrorism were also on the agenda, with Lee
\npraising Indonesia's recent achievement, the death of Jamaah
\nIslamiyah terrorist Azahari bin Husin.<\/p>\n
Regarding trade, Lee told Susilo that Singapore had started
\npublishing the country's trade statistics with Indonesia since
\nJanuary this year in an effort to help Indonesia fight smuggling
\nand other illicit trade activities.<\/p>\n
\"Singapore will transparently publish the real picture of the
\ntrade statistics between the two countries on a regular basis,
\nincluding export and import figures from third countries. This is
\nto help the two countries curb smuggling,\" Dino said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/java-is-front-line-in-bird-flu-battle-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}