International donors have pledged approximately 475 million dollars to help countries to fight highly pathogenic avian influenza, said a statement released by the World Bank on Friday.

UN officials had hoped for up to twice the amount pledged Friday, but welcomed the results at an avian flu summit in Bamako, Mali.

"This is a clear sign that the international community remains firmly focused on the fight against avian influenza, with a special emphasis on Africa, which remains vulnerable to the spread of the H5N1 virus," said UN Senior Influenza Coordinator, Dr. David Nabarro.

He said that more donor financing would certainly be available over the coming months as donors move into new budget cycles in the coming financial year, according to the statement.

The World Bank also vowed that it would help all countries get the financial and technical support they need to control avian flu in their poultry flocks, while protecting their communities from the risk of a human influenza pandemic.

"We have more than 600 million dollars available from the development banks in the form of zero-interest credits and other loans to fight avian flu in developing countries," said John McIntire, Special Representative of the World Bank to the Fourth International Conference on Avian Influenza in Mali.

"Poor people rely increasingly on poultry, ducks and other birds to earn income, and as a major source of protein in their diets, so stamping out avian flu is very much a key development challenge," he added.

The leading donors on Friday were the European Commission and the European Union (131 million dollars), the United States (100 million dollars), Canada (92.5 million dollars) and Japan (67 million dollars).

Source: Xinhua