The bird flu epidemic reportedly caused a total direct loss of VND460 billion (USUS$29.1 million) to Vietnam’s poultry industry last year, said the Department of Animal Health under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).
Of the sum, the country lost about VND100 billion (USUS$6.36 million) when large numbers of poultry were culled as an anti-bird flu measure, while the remainder was spent on prevention.
The official statistics were released at a conference, hosted by the MARD on March 2, to cope with cattle epidemics and boosting the capacity of veterinary staff.
The above figures have however do not include indirect financial damages caused by the pandemic to other economic sectors including tourism. According to the Vietnam National Tourism Administration, since October last year, the number of foreign tourists to Vietnam was decreased dramatically over fear of the bird flu epidemic.
“The bird flu epidemic badly affected the socio-economy and reduced the incomes of poultry breeders,” a veterinary official stressed at the meeting.
MARD proposed several measures to prevent a recurrence of the bird flu epidemic in the near future, such as timely disseminating bird flu information to citizens, regularly sterilizing raising, trading and slaughtering areas, and early detection and timely treatment in areas where the bird flu epidemic occurs.
Initially, 33 provinces and cities across the country will carry out the first phase of poultry vaccination campaign in March and April, while the second phase will be conducted in August and September.
According to the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat, the most effective way to prevent bird flu is to raise awareness among citizens. Mr Phat said bird flu information dissemination should be further strengthened to help citizens actively cope with the disease when an epidemic breaks out.
Despite no new bird flu outbreaks in more than two months, and no new human flu cases in three months, there remain limitations on prevention work.
However, many localities have not implemented policies and preventative measures strictly, and financial sources have not been provided to implemented units and poultry breeders in a direct and timely fashion.
The ministry will have to develop a long-term strategy to help localities effectively cope with an epidemic if it occurs.
In the same move to prevent the epidemic from spreading all over the world, international community has to date give as much as USUS$8.5 million in assistance to help Vietnam fight bird flu in poultry and humans.
The poultry industry has seriously been hit by the bird flu epidemic since late 2003. The fatal virus has already killed or forced the culling of more than 66 million fowls over the time, according to statistics from the MARD.
Vietnam Economic Times, New Hanoi
Vietnamese
