Susilo appeals to business leaders to help fight bird flu

Rendi A. Witular The Jakarta Post/ Busan, South Korea

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono appealed to business leaders around the globe to step up efforts to halt the outbreak of bird flu and prevent it from mutating into a form that could spread from human to human.

In his speech delivered to the chief executive officer (CEO) from the Asia Pacific rim, Susilo asked for private sector contributions in the form of funds, research and innovations to prevent an avian flu pandemic.

"We are counting on your active role in global efforts to prevent an avian flu pandemic, which would be disastrous to the regional and world economy," he said.

"There is much that you can do to help us; to provide medical and surveillance equipment, to supply medicine and most importantly to find the vaccine for the virus and also vaccines for future infectious diseases not yet known to us now," he added.

The bird flu threat was expected to be a major focus when leaders from the 21 APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation) member economies meet on Friday and on Saturday, as U.S. President George W. Bush is pushing to make it a key issue for discussion.

At least 64 people have died in Asia from bird flu after coming into contact with infected birds. Some 150 million poultry have been culled, but the spread of the disease has continued, due mostly due to migratory birds.

In Indonesia alone, seven people have been confirmed fatalities while dozens of others have the symptoms.

In his speech, Susilo also called the disease "a smart and cunning enemy" and noted the threat came after a string of natural disasters that have shaken the world.

"This year, Mother Nature has been particularly devastating to humanity," he said, citing the Indian Ocean tsunami, Hurricane Katrina and the South Asia earthquake.

Susilo also renewed his warning of the devastating effects should there be a flu pandemic, which could heavily ravage the economies of the Asia-Pacific region.

"Our worst nightmare now would be if the avian flu virus finds a way to mutate, which would allow human-to-human transmission," he said, adding that he could not imagine the number of people who would be killed by the disease if that were to happen before a human vaccine is found and given to everyone.

Meanwhile, U.S

Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who met Bush on Thursday, said the president flagged the issue for his meeting Friday with leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

"Certainly this issue of avian flu is a very major issue and a very major problem that requires combined effort of countries to resolve the problem as he sees ASEAN as a group of countries which are brought together because we share common objectives," Abdullah was quoted by AFP as saying after the meeting.