Financial Times

ADB transfers $11 million to regional partners in Bird Flu fight

MANILA – ADB has disbursed more than $11 million to partner agencies – ASEAN, FAO and WHO – to counter the immediate threat posed by avian influenza in the Asia and Pacific region, the agency said last week.

The funds are from ADB's $38 million regional project for Prevention and Control of Avian Influenza announced in March. The project aims to strengthen regional capacity and facilitate regional cooperation to prevent or rapidly control avian flu outbreaks among birds and to help countries manage cases of human influenza caused by the H5N1 virus.

The project will also help prepare the region for a possible pandemic by supporting regional interagency collaboration, regional cooperation in sharing information, and strengthening regional networks.

To date, some $99,000 has been transferred to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, $2.59 million to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, and $8.4 million to the World Health Organization.

Besides underwriting the cost of experts, equipment, supplies, drugs and services, the project includes a $14.5 million avian influenza response facility to provide critical financing to contain outbreaks and meet countries' most urgent needs.

It forms part of $69.2 million in grant assistance committed by ADB this year for three projects in member countries to help fight avian flu and improve the region's preparedness for an influenza pandemic.

The other two grant projects are a $30 million regional project for long-term communicable disease control for Cambodia, Lao People's Democratic Republic and Viet Nam, and $1.2 million in technical assistance for Indonesia, Malaysia, and Philippines to combat communicable diseases.

ADB has pledged about $470 in possible assistance on bird flu.

Of this, about $100 million could be derived from reallocations from existing loans, while some $300 million could be made available in new loans, if requested by affected countries, complementing World Bank and other donors’ resources.

"These funds stand ready to assist our developing member countries in the fight against bird flu, if or when they require them," says Jacques Jeugmans, ADB Principal Health Specialist.

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