April 23, 2010
Vietnam, US boost ties on influenza fight
Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the US Centre for Disease Control signed a Letter of Intent on strengthening activities related to influenza and other animal-human diseases on Apr 21.
Under the letter, the US will provide US$160,000 for projects studying the influenza pathways between humans, poultry and pigs in Vietnam.
The letter is under framework of the 2010 International Ministerial Conference on Animal and Pandemic Influenza wrapping up in Hanoi. A total of 70 participating countries made a declaration proposing a multi-sector of national measures to promptly detect new diseases that may cross from animals to humans.
The meeting also took place in the wake of warnings from several global organisations about the continued risk of H5N1 avian influenza. Countries where the disease is endemic, such as Egypt and Vietnam, have reported several outbreaks in poultry this year, along with a spate of human cases.
