U.S Offers US$7.3M for Bird Flu Fighting Campaign in Vietnam

The U.S. Government will provide US$7.3 million through the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to Vietnam to implement two projects on preventing and combating bird flu, local media reported.

 

The documents relating to the projects were signed by Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Diep Kinh Tan and FAO Representative Andrew Speedy, in Hanoi on April 8.

 

The two projects cover the provision of technical assistance for improvement of preparedness in response to HPAI (third phase) and date collection in service of shifting of H5N1 vaccination strategy in Vietnam.

 

U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Michael W. Michalak said the U.S. Government has supported around US$50 million for the fight against bird flu in Vietnam since 2005.

 

He pledged that through the newly-signed projects and other activities, the U.S. will continue to work closely with other donors to assist Vietnam to shift from a large-scale vaccination for poultry against avian influenza to a more sustainable bird flu control strategy.

 

Statistics show that bird flu has attacked Vietnam five times since 2003, affecting 60 out of the country’s 63 cities and provinces and costing the lives of 54 people out of the 109 cases of human infection. Since the beginning of this year, bird flu has claimed the lives of three people.

 

Deputy Minister of Agricultural and Rural Development Diep Kinh Tan said Vietnam has mobilized the entire political system in monitoring the implementation of the bird flu national response program.

 

He also reported that the Vietnamese government has spent almost US$130 million from the State budget for the prevention and control of bird flu.

 

“Vietnam appreciates experts’ recommendations on the shift in bird flu preventive strategy, with the focus on mid- and long-term measures, especially those relating to development of bio-breeding and improvement of the veterinary sector to enable it to quickly respond to other epidemics in the future and ensure that the animal husbandry grows sustainably,” said the government official. (VNA, Labor)