February 2, 2005

Vietnam given grant of 600,000 euros to fight bird flu

Vietnam will be provided with 600,000 euros by the European Commission (EC) to support the country's efforts in battling avian influenza outbreaks.

The funds will be used to purchase equipment through the World Health Organization (WHO).

At a ceremony to announce the aid in Ha Noi on Feb. 1, Dr. Markus Cornaro, Ambassador-Head of the EC Delegation to Viet Nam, stressed that "Vietnam is once again at the forefront of global efforts to fight outbreaks of avian flu, which is a menace not just for the region, but for the world at large. It is our duty to support it in this battle."

Last year, the EC provided financial support of 1 million euros to Vietnam and deployed three experts to the country to help curb avian influenza.

This support is part of a larger assistance package for the health sector, a division for which the EC is one of Vietnam's leading donor partners. The 27 million-euro Health Systems Development Programme, to which the EC has contributed 20 million euros, will end shortly after successfully providing much needed support for the development of health services primarily in An Giang, Thai Binh and Binh Thuan provinces. The EC will launch a new programme of support for the health sector in Vietnam later this year, contributing funds through the Healthcare Fund for the Poor.