April 9, 2009

The US government will provide US$7.3 million through the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) to Vietnam to implement two projects on preventing and combating bird flu.

The two projects cover the provision of technical assistance for improvement of preparedness in response to HPAI (third phase) and date collection in service of shifting of H5N1 vaccination strategy in Vietnam.

US ambassador to Vietnam Michael W. Michalak said the US government has since 2005 provided around US$50 million for the fight against bird flu in Vietnam.

Michalak said that through the newly-signed projects and other activities, the US will continue to work closely with other donors to assist Vietnam to shift from a large-scale vaccination for poultry against bird flu to a more sustainable control strategy.

Statistics show that bird flu has attacked Vietnam five times since 2003, affecting 60 out of the country's 63 cities and provinces.

The Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development (MARD) deputy minister Diep Kinh Tan said Vietnam has mobilised the entire political system in monitoring the implementation of the bird flu national response programme.

Tan also said that the Vietnamese government has spent almost US$130 million from the state budget for the prevention and control of bird flu.