January 16, 2006

EU pledges EUR80 million to global bird flu fund

The EU will donate EUR80 million to a global fund to help countries outside the EU tackle the spread of the H5N1 bird flu, European External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said Friday.

In the following week, the EU, China and WHO are organising a conference in Beijing aimed at raising US$1 billion for preventing the further spread of bird flu. Countries in Asia, Eastern Europe and the Middle East need help, Ferrero-Waldner said.

EU Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou said the EU and other organisations still need more research done on H5N1. "We still do not know enough," he said.

Of the EU's money, EUR50 million will come from the external relations budget and EUR30 million from the development office. It will mostly be used to help countries set up "prevention programmes", said Ferrero-Waldner.