ASEAN approves anti-bird flu plan, creates fund
ASEAN approves anti-bird flu plan, creates fund
Joeal Calupitan and Dolly Aglay, Reuters, Tagaytay, Philippines,
Southeast Asian nations vowed on Friday to curb bird flu in the next three years as the United Nations warned the virus could mutate and kill up to 150 million people.
The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) also pledged US$2 million for a regional fund to curb animal diseases, including avian influenza.
Bird flu has killed 66 people in four Asian countries since late 2003 and millions of birds have been destroyed, causing estimated losses of $10 billion to $15 billion for the poultry industry.
"The ministers agreed that the HPAI (highly pathogenic avian influenza) outbreak requires an all-out coordinated regional effort," the ASEAN agriculture ministers said in a statement at the end of their meeting in this resort city south of Manila.
ASEAN had endorsed a blueprint by a Malaysian-led task force to eradicate the virus in the next three years, it said.
The agriculture ministers from China, Japan and South Korea, the dialog partners of ASEAN, welcomed the regional effort to contain bird flu and said the projects should continue beyond 2008.
The task force, recommending eight measures, proposed that Thailand lead surveillance and diagnosis, and Malaysia take charge of containment, emergency measures and disease-free zones.
It also proposed that strategic vaccination should be led by Indonesia, information sharing by Singapore, and public awareness and communications by the Philippines.
"The ministers directed the task force to urgently formulate detailed action plans for implementation and proceed to identify potential sources of funding," the statement said.
ASEAN countries pledged to create the animal health fund to prevent the spread of illnesses including foot-and-mouth disease and hog cholera, officials have said.
The World Health Organization (WHO), the UN health agency, said on Thursday that if the bird flu virus spreads among humans, the quality of the global response would determine whether it ends up killing 5 million people or as many as 150 million.
Experts say a lack of funds is hampering the fight against bird flu in Asian countries such as Indonesia, where a fifth victim died on Monday.
ASEAN, China, Japan and South Korea said they would work closely with the world animal health body OIE, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the WHO.
The three agencies plan to hold a bird flu conference in December to try to raise the $102 million they say is needed over the next three years to contain the virus.
The money will be used to help affected countries and fund research, training of personnel and campaigns against bird flu.
The FAO said earlier this week that its appeal in May for more funds to halt the cycle of bird flu infections in animals had received a lukewarm response from donors.
Health experts have warned that bird flu could set off a pandemic if it gains the ability to be transmitted easily between humans.
ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.