October 12, 2005

Cambodia, US to cooperate in managing bird flu

On Oct 11, Cambodia and the US signed a Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation in health and medical science, especially on bird flu.

The two countries would now cooperate through various ways, which include the exchange of information on bird flu outbreak areas, providing biological samples from outbreaks in Cambodia, and visits by scientific delegations.

Both sides agreed that international experts would provide advice at Cambodia's request, and meetings and scientific conferences would also be organised.

Concerned that Cambodia and other Southeast Asian nations may not be able to respond in a timely and effective manner against possible bird flu outbreaks, an international high-level delegation-which includes US Health Secretary Mike Leavitt and WHO Director-General Jong-Wook Lee-is travelling Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Japan to promote an effective response to the disease and to encourage pandemic control planning.

On May 11, US President Bush signed an emergency appropriations bill of US$25 million to prevent and control the bird flu spread in Southeast Asia.