November 30, 2007

Vietnam to get US$1.5 million bird flu aid from New Zealand

New Zealand's International Aid and Development Agency (NZAID) November 28 pledged to pour US$1.5 million to help Vietnam combat bird flu pandemic, the Vietnam News reported.

The agency made the announcement at a signing ceremony held in Hanoi by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The project will include investigation of the disease' spread among ducks in the Mekong Delta and develop a model to prevent the disease, including how and when to use vaccinations.

NZAID earlier provided US$288,000 to the Government-United Nation Joint Program on Avian Influenza.

Currently, bird flu has affected poultry in northern Cao Bac province and central Quang Tri province.

The disease hit many Mekong Delta provinces in the previous outbreak last May.

Sixty two cities and provinces nationwide have vaccinated 131.93 million poultry, including 69.26 million chickens and 62.67 million ducks.

The US, which already gave more than US$22 million for Vietnam's bird flu fight since 2005, early this month promised to grant an additional US$10.5 million to the country's bird flu fighting campaign.