Members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) will take concrete measures to combat bird flu outbreaks among poultry as well as humans, a health official told Xinhua Monday in Hanoi.

Under complex progress of bird flu outbreaks in many countries and regions, APEC is embarking on a joint plan on pandemic influenza response and preparedness with the future organization of a symposium in China and a workshop in Vietnam, Ian Shugart, chairman of APEC's Health Task Force (HTF), said on the sidelines of the HTF's meeting in Hanoi on Monday.

"We plan to hold a symposium on emerging infectious diseases, including avian influenza, in Beijing in early May, and a risk communications workshop in Hanoi in late April. Their main objectives are to update avian influenza situations in the region, define steps to be taken to response to potential pandemics, and share technical expertise and information to curb the spread of health crisis," Shugart said.

During the symposium, delegates will touch upon such technical issues as the nature of bird flu viruses, their transmission paths, and laboratory assessment. The H5N1 bird flu virus has not mutated to a degree which allows human-to-human transmission so far, although the possibility can be ruled out, the official said.

He said key elements of Canada's pandemic bird flu preparedness include a pandemic influenza plan, a pandemic influenza vaccine strategy, an antiviral strategy, surveillance, emergency management, communications and research.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed 170 human cases of bird flu infections, including 92 fatalities, in the world since 2003. Vietnam has been the hardest-hit country with 42 deaths from bird flu so far.

On Monday, the first day of the HTF's two-day meeting, participants, besides the bird flu response and preparedness in the Asia-Pacific region, centered their discussion on seeking ways of reducing HIV/AIDS infections, especially those among migratory workers, and applying information technology to provide healthcare services, Shugart said.

The APEC HTF's meeting was part of the first series of APEC events in 2006. The first senior officials' meeting and related meetings with the participation of officials and experts from APEC members in such fields as e-commerce, customs, intellectual property, market access, anti-corruption, and counter-terrorism are to be held from Feb. 20 to March 2 in Hanoi.

Apart from the summit slated for November, Vietnam will host about 100 APEC meetings this year, including a joint foreign and trade ministerial meeting, meetings of ministers responsible for finance, trade, healthcare and tourism, and senior officials meetings.

Since its founding, APEC has become one of the world's most important regional groupings. Its 21 member economies span four continents and are home to more than 2.6 billion people and account for 57 percent of the world's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 45.8 percent of world trade.

Source: Xinhua