March 30, 2007

ADB to assist Bangladesh in bird flu fight

The Asian Development Bank (ADB), in collaboration with UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO), is assisting Bangladesh in the prevention and control of bird flu.

The bank has disbursed more than US$11 million to partner agencies such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), FAO and WHO to counter the bird flu threat, according to an ADB news release dated Thursday (Mar 29).

The fund comes from a US$38 million joint grant covering countries in the Asia-Pacific region, meant to address urgent needs to control and reduce the spread of bird flu among poultry and to prepare for a human influenza pandemic.

ADB is assisting Bangladesh in drawing on the expertise and experience of other countries that have dealt with bird flu issues, in order to pool resources and respond more effectively to outbreaks, said Hua Du, country director for ADB's Bangladesh Resident Mission.

The project is also helping to prepare Bangladesh and the region for a possible pandemic by supporting regional interagency collaboration, regional cooperation in sharing information, and strengthening regional networks.

Besides underwriting the cost of experts, equipment, supplies, drugs and services, the project includes a US$14.5-million bird flu response facility to provide critical financing to contain outbreaks and meet countries' most urgent needs.

All of ADB's developing member countries are eligible to apply for funds from this project, with those at greatest risk to be given priority.

A pandemic would cost Asia US$297 billion dollars in one year and throw the world into recession, according to a recent ADB study.

Bangladesh recently confirmed bird flu at a state-owned farm near the capital of Dhaka and culled 30,000 chickens.