"Through the 2ndRegional Meeting on Avian Influenza Control in Animals in Asia, wehope to receive technical assistance and relevant helps from the international community," Bui Quang Anh, director of Vietnam's Department of Animal Health, told Xinhua in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Noting that his country has had close cooperation with Thailand on exchanging anti-bird flu experiences, he added Vietnam is willing to give a helping hand to Laos and Cambodia.

The bird flu virus strain H5N1 has remained a big health threat in several Asian countries, which urges nations as well as international organizations to forge closer cooperation to stamp it out.

Their top veterinary officials, scientists and representatives are to touch upon issues regarding current bird flu situations in affected countries, achievements of control measures over the last12 months, latest scientific findings, new control measures and future research needs at the three-day meeting starting here Wednesday.

The regional meeting is to be held by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), in collaboration with the World Health Organization and the Vietnamese government.

Delegates to the meeting will hear a summary of bird flu situation in Asia by the FAO and the OIE, review recommendations of the first meeting held in Thailand in February 2004, make recommendations on future needs, discuss scientific advances on animal health and socio-economic analysis.

It will also get to know views on prevention, control and elimination of highly pathogenic avian influenza of organizations and donor agencies such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the World Bank, and donor countries, including Australia, France and the United States.

Bird flu, which is feared to be present for a considerable longtime in the nations that faced outbreaks during 2004, is an ongoing disease that spreads across borders, and has serious implications for the public and animal health sector, the FAO and the OIE said in a recent joint statement.

"The international community has to realize that some poor countries in Asia living with the bird flu virus must receive more support to intensify precautionary measures and to contain the risks associated with the disease," the two agencies stressed.

Affected countries such as Vietnam and Indonesia need the support of the international community to reinforce their veterinary infrastructure and carry out effective control strategies, based on better bio-security, modernized industry practices and, where appropriate, vaccination, they said.

Vietnam, one of the most seriously affected countries in the region by the epidemic starting in December 2003, has so far experienced three outbreaks of bird flu, killing 32 local people.

More than 100 million fowls have been killed by the epidemic or slaughtered in the prevention of further spread of the virus since the outbreak of the epidemic, leading to a great loss to agriculture and trade in the sector in the region.

Thanks to the great efforts made by the governments in the region as well as through timely cooperation in the world community, the deadly bird flu has been largely controlled in Asia. However, the recent outbreak of the epidemic in Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia alarmed the world of the need for further actions to the elimination of the virus.

Therefore, scientific advances in animal health, prevention measures and policy supporting as well as international cooperation are the present need in the fight against the epidemic. The outcomes of the regional meeting on the bird flu are eagerly expected.

Source: Xinhua