Learn mandarin - WB expects US$1b pledged for bird flu control

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WB expects US$1b pledged for bird flu control

(AP)
Updated: 2006-01-16 16:08

Countries around the world are expected to pledge at least US$1 billion
(euro822 million) to help their poorer counterparts tackle bird flu and
prepare for a potential pandemic in humans, a World Bank official said
Monday.

"We're anticipating a very generous EU response, we have a very strong
commitment from the U.S. (and) we expect the Japanese to come with a
strong commitment," said Jim Adams, the World Bank's vice president of
operations policy and country services.
His remarks came on the eve of a two-day international donors' conference
in Beijing that is focused on efforts to pay for fighting the disease,
which has killed at least 79 people in Asia and Turkey since 2003.

Most human cases have been traced to contact with infected birds, but
experts fear the bird flu-causing H5N1 virus could mutate into a form
that passes easily between people, possibly sparking a pandemic.

The World Bank has said that up to US$1.5 billion (euro1.4 billion) is
needed over the next three years to prepare for a pandemic.

Experts have warned it could end up costing the world much more if no
action is taken now.

Last week, Dr. David Nabarro, the U.N. coordinator on avian and human
influenza, said funds are also needed by international institutions -
especially the World Health Organization, the U.N. Food and Agriculture
Organization and the World Organization for Animal Health.

Based on the damage that severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS,
caused to Asia's economy after it emerged in southern China in 2002, the
World Bank says a bird flu pandemic in humans could result in US$800
billion (euro640 billion) in global losses in a year.

The European Union has said it will pledge US$100 million (euro83.06
million), but an EU representative at a bird flu conference last week in
Tokyo stressed that the union would not support regional stockpiling of
antiviral drugs.

Patrick Deboyser instead said the group is interested in helping to
strengthen the animal health sector.

"Let's not forget that the reason we all talk about the pandemic is
because of this H5N1 virus, which so far is still an animal virus," he
said. "So let's fight the animal virus."

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