Oz to give $10m to fight bird flu

JAKARTA: Visiting Australia foreign minister Alexander Downer announced on Thursday his government would disburse another A$10 million (about US$7.5 million) to help Indonesia fight bird flu.

"This funding will help Indonesia improve its response to a potential outbreak in key areas such as detection, diagnosis and containment of the virus, public awareness-raising and information sharing," he said in a statement.

The additional funding is the result of recommendations from a report by Australian experts, who visited Indonesia last week.

With the new funding, Australia's total assistance to Indonesia's fight against bird flu reaches $15.5 million, including 50,000 doses of the antiviral medication Tamiflu.

There have been five confirmed cases in Indonesia of the deadly H5N1 strain of avian influenza since July, comprising three deaths and two people still being treated.

Bird flu has killed more than 60 people in Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia and Indonesia since late 2003. -- JP