Bird flu-hit countries in Asia have shown their stronger determination regarding regional and international cooperation on combating the disease, Vietnam's top veterinary official said in Ho Chi Minh City Friday at a regional meeting on the disease.

Most immediate cooperation is in the form of exchanging information and experience so that affected countries can quickly eliminate current outbreaks and prevent new ones, Director of Vietnam's Department of Animal Health Bui Quang Anh, told Xinhua on the sideline of the 2nd Regional Meeting on Avian Influenza Control in Animals in Asia in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

He noted that Vietnam is always willing to join hands with other nations and international organizations, especially regional ones "because most of bird flu-stricken countries are members of ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations). "

He also noted that representatives from poor ASEAN members, during the three-day meeting starting Feb. 23, expressed their hope to receive financial support from developed countries and donor agencies to fund their ongoing anti-bird flu activities and future work regarding deep research into the disease, including the production of testing kits and vaccines, he noted.

Over 100 million US dollars would be needed to urgently improve animal health services and laboratories to improve virus detection and its ultimate eradication, said the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), which held the meeting here in collaboration with the World Health Organization and the Vietnamese government.

The outbreak of bird flu in several countries in the region such as Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam starting in December 2003 has resulted in many joint efforts, including initiatives and consultations, made by both ASEAN and non-ASEAN members.

At the Ministerial Meeting on Combating the Spread of Avian Influenza (AI) in January 2004 in Thailand, agriculture and health ministers and senior officials from Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, China, Japan, South Korea, the United States and the European Commission agreed to promote rapid and transparent exchange of scientific information to provide early warning of potential outbreaks, consider to create a regional veterinary surveillance network, strengthen cooperation with regional and international organizations on joint research to reduce the hazards of epizootic outbreaks on human health, and develop diagnostic test kits, vaccination and anti-viral drugs.

The Regional Meeting on Avian Influenza Control in Animals in Asia held in February 2004 in Thailand endorsed two documents, namely the Global Approach of the Surveillance and Control for Trans-boundary Diseases and the Financial Requirements for Halting the Spread of the Disease and Promoting Recovery.

At the China-ASEAN Special Meeting on Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) Control in March 2004, China and ASEAN countries agreed to enhance cooperation between inspection and quarantine agencies for border management in the two sides to prevent spread of the disease to minimize impact on trade, and exchange experts and organize joint technical training course on HPAI-related technologies and methodologies.

Source: Xinhua