December 20, 2004

Thailand to Cooperate in Bird-flu Fight With China and Vietnam

Thailand and China have agreed to combine forces in curbing the spread of bird flu.

Thai Deputy Prime Minister Chaturon Chaisang, during a current visit to China, met with his Chinese counterpart and China's health minister to discuss the recent outbreak. The deadly avian influenza, which first broke out in Thailand earlier this year, had re-emerged again in July on the back of similar outbreaks in China and Vietnam.

China and Thailand have both agreed to exchange information and personnel as well as cooperate in conducting research on the disease, revealed Mr. Chaturon, who has been charged with wiping out his country's bird flu epidemic.

Southeast Asian countries have also recently pledged to work together in the fight against the outbreak, which global health experts warned has the potential to become the next human influenza pandemic.

With evidence suggesting that the virus, known as H5N1, is now endemic, policymakers must step up regional surveillance to control and eradicate the disease. Intense discussions on this had taken place recently on the sidelines of a separate session among ASEAN leaders in Bangkok. 

The World Health Organisation had, during that meeting, called for major changes in the way Asian nations raise animals so as to lessen the risk of bird flu through better hygiene and improved controls at farms and markets.

The high density of poultry and humans in several Asian countries has been blamed for the bird flu outbreak; thus the way to deal effectively with the disease should start in Asia.

Thailand has also agreed, at a working session in Hanoi on 18 December, to share expertise in bird flu control with neighbouring Vietnam. 

Under the plan, the two sides will exchange scientific information on the development of the disease and experiences in preventing and fighting it.

Thai Deputy Prime Minister Chaturon Chaisaeng met with his Vietnamese counterpart Minister Cao Duc Phat, together with officials from both countries. It was unanimously agreed that concrete measures and cooperation with international organisations in fighting the outbreak were vital.