France Helps Vietnam to Fight against Avian Flu

Within the framework of the official visit to Vietnam led by Professor Jean Francois GIRARD, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Institute of Research for Development (IRD) and Professor Patrice DEBRE, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the (Agriculture Research for Developing Country (CIRAD) from June 15-16, 2006, CIRAD and IRD cooperated with the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to organise a IRD-CIRAD roundtable conference on avian influenza.

 

At the meeting, French specialists and officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Health and the Pasteur Institute introduced the latest avian flu plague research results carried out in Europe, Africa and Vietnam. This is a chance for leading research organisations in Vietnam and France to select cooperative themes beyond the framework of Vietnam’s Green Book Avian Influenza Prevention Programme. The ability to build a network is considered a phase to connect research fields with surveillance works over new plagues.

 

Speaking at the conference, the French Ambassador to Vietnam Jean Francois Blarel appreciated Vietnam’s avian flu prevention activities. Although 42 Vietnamese people died of bird flu in 2004-2005, Vietnam completely contained the bird flu in January 2006. However, according to the French Ambassador, the avian flu is developing complicatedly and is highly likely to break out; hence, the two countries should increase international cooperation efforts.

 

On this occasion, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development also admitted several restrictions in bird flu prevention in Vietnam, emphasising the lack of basic information about the plague, vaccine sources and safety measures to husbandry, trading, transporting and slaughtering fowls.