UN urges Indonesia to step up efforts against bird flu<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The United Nations urged the government here on Friday to step up
\nits efforts in fighting avian influenza, including culling
\npoultry immediately in affected areas and delegating more funds
\nto fight the H5N1 virus to stop it from developing into a human
\npandemic.<\/p>\n
The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said that
\nbird flu had become endemic in Indonesia and was continuing to
\nspread, requiring that its control become a national priority.<\/p>\n
Veterinary and civil authorities should have the full power to
\nenforce disease control measures such as culling and targeted
\nvaccination in high risk areas, although it is not easy, it said.<\/p>\n
\"In view of the worrying situation, it is necessary for the
\ngovernment to improve its virus control policies and strategies,\"
\nJoseph Domenech, chief veterinary officer of the Rome-based
\nagency, said in a statement.<\/p>\n
The government had declared an \"extraordinary situation\" on
\nMonday over the spreading deadly virus, giving health authorities
\npower to forcibly hospitalize people with symptoms of the
\ndisease.<\/p>\n
Accused of responding slowly to the outbreak, the government
\nalso planned to cull chickens in infected areas. However, the
\nplan has not materialized, with the affected areas left
\nunidentified.<\/p>\n
The FAO said that a massive public awareness campaign was
\nneeded to reach about 30 million village households keeping
\naround 200 million chickens in all.<\/p>\n
Along with the government, the FAO is developing a national
\navian influenza control project that will require around US$11
\nmillion in funds.<\/p>\n
There have been four bird flu fatalities in Indonesia since
\nJuly, with two other recent fatalities currently being
\ninvestigated. However, the source of the virus that killed the
\nfour victims remains a mystery.<\/p>\n
Minister of Health Siti Fadilah Supari said on Friday that
\ntests conducted here have confirmed that a five-year-old girl who
\ndied earlier this week did not have the virus as had originally
\nbeen suspected.<\/p>\n
Another 22 people who showed symptoms of the disease are also
\nunder observation in hospitals around the country.<\/p>\n
Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Alwi Shihab said on
\nFriday that teams of scientists from the United States and Japan
\nwere helping the government investigate the current outbreak.<\/p>\n
\"The countries are going to give technical assistance for
\nmedical staff and laboratory technicians,\" Alwi said after a
\nmeeting with related ministers, U.S. Ambassador B. Lynn Pascoe,
\nand officials from U.S.-based Center for Disease Control and
\nPrevention (CDC) and donor agencies.<\/p>\n
Alwi said the initial fund allocated by the U.S. government
\nfor Asian countries affected by the virus was $25 million, adding
\nthat more money would likely be earmarked for Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Pascoe said that the American government had the highest
\nconfidence in the ability and energy of the Indonesian government
\nin coping with this problem.<\/p>\n
\"We've been quite impressed with the program at this point. We
\nhave found the cooperation excellent... and will be working very
\nclosely together in the future,\" he told the press after the
\nmeeting.<\/p>\n
The most urgent cooperation at the moment, Pascoe said, is
\ntraining and education, so that everyone will have enough
\nknowledge about bird flu, and be aware of it without panicking.<\/p>\n
The latest data form the agriculture ministry shows that as
\nmany as 16.2 million poultry have been killed due to the virus,
\nwhich has spread to 22 out of 33 provinces in the vast
\narchipelago since late 2003. It jumped species to pigs earlier
\nthis year.<\/p>\n
The virus has swept through poultry populations in Asia since
\n2003, killing tens of millions of birds and 63 people, mostly in
\nVietnam and Thailand.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono warned of a
\nglobal economic disaster, unless countries around the world
\ncooperated to fight the virus.<\/p>\n
\"Bird flu does not only exist in Indonesia but also in several
\ncountries in the region. That's why we need multinational
\ncooperation to contain the disease or it may hurt the global
\neconomy,\" he told a press conference on Friday.<\/p>\n
When opening a meeting of governors earlier in the day, Susilo
\nurged the local administrations to cooperate with the central
\ngovernment in seriously addressing the problem.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/un-urges-indonesia-to-step-up-efforts-against-bird-flu-1447893297",
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