Lack of transparency hamper bird flu fight

Lack of transparency hamper bird flu fight

Helen Luk, Associated Press/Hong Kong

Inadequate transparency and limited resources have hampered
Southeast Asia's battle against bird flu, a senior ASEAN official
said on Tuesday.

Southeast Asian countries agreed in September to launch a
three-year plan next year to combat bird flu, which has ravaged
poultry populations in the region since 2003 and killed dozens of
people, mostly in Vietnam and Thailand.

They hope the plan, which includes setting up a disease
surveillance system, can help halt the disease before it turns
into a catastrophic global pandemic with the potential to kill
millions of people.

In a speech to the business community in Hong Kong, Ong Keng
Yong, secretary-general of the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN), said information-sharing about the disease must
improve.

"The important thing is transparency, and this is where some
of our member countries are still learning. They are always very
concerned about creating panic in their society, so sometimes the
information about an episode or a bird flu outbreak would take
some time to reach other parts of the country," Ong said.

"We have to insist on quick information and as much details as
possible, so that we can actually identify the kind of problems
that cause such an outbreak," he said.

Some governments' lack of funds to compensate poultry farmers
for their losses in case of an outbreak also hinders the fight
against bird flu, Ong said.

Farmers whose livelihoods depend on poultry are often very
reluctant to report bird flu to the authorities, he said. They
often hide sick chickens or slaughter them without proper
protection, helping the virus spread.

"That causes a lot of inconsistencies in our management of the
problem," he said. "What we are hoping for is that we work with
transparency with all the experts and as soon as there is a
problem, we try to contain it in the particular location."

He said ASEAN, which has pledged US$2 million to establish an
animal health trust fund, is trying to rally for more funds to
help member countries.

ASEAN comprises Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, the
Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos and
Myanmar.