Susilo appeals to business leaders to help fight bird flu

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.