November 30, 2006

UN may shift bird flu focus to Africa, away from Asia

Even as South Korea announced news of a fresh bird flu outbreak this week and Indonesia records its 57th human victim from bird flu, the UN is considering shifting resources to Africa, where the virus is spreading among the world's poorest countries.

Although bird flu outbreaks still occur in Asia, previously hard-hit countries such as Thailand and Vietnam

have had success in containing the virus, Samuel Jutzi, director of the Food and Agriculture Organization's animal production and health division, said.

While Asia has been, with domestic resources and external resources, successful in curbing bird flu, other parts of the world, particular Africa, are much less so, he said, adding that Africa is much weaker, economically and structurally, to respond.

Some of the poorest countries in Africa -- Uganda, Niger, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso and Djibouti have had to deal with the bird flu scourge.

Jutzi said bird flu experts meeting next week were expected to make Africa a top priority.

The World Bank said on Tuesday as much as US$1.3 billion more was needed to fight bird flu, with more than US$500 million of that going to Africa.

Although the UN is shifting its attentions to Africa, the international community should continue to help Indonesia, as well as poorer countries like Laos and Cambodia, Jutzi said.