 |  |  | | The spread of avian flu is beyond its stronghold in Asia. |
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September 15, 2005—With the spread of avian flu beyond its stronghold in Asia, experts are now warning dealing with the disease will require a long-term, internationally coordinated effort. “To seriously address avian flu, we will need to have preventative measures well advanced,” says Mark Wilson, Director of Rural Development and Natural Resources in the World Bank’s East Asia and Pacific region. In August, when the deadly H5N1 strain of avian flu was detected in migratory birds in Russia and Kazakhstan, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned the disease could spread long distances throughout the world along the migratory routes of birds – including the Middle East, Europe, South Asia, and Africa. So far, the disease has caused 57 deaths out of 112 infections, and most cases have been tied to direct exposure to diseased birds. “But there is a risk that at some point the disease could develop the capacity to spread between humans,” says Fadia Saadah, Sector Manager of the World Bank’s Health, Nutrition and Population program for East Asia. “This is why health experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) are watching the potential outbreak closely and are focusing on preparedness.” The World Bank launched a $5 million program last year to help Vietnam better monitor outbreaks in poultry flocks, improve response times, and increase public awareness. “When avian flu first showed up in Vietnam over a year ago the government requested our assistance,” Wilson says. “We had the expertise in place to help set up animal disease surveillance systems and laboratories to provide diagnostic capabilities.” The Bank has also been working to put avian flu on the development agenda in East Asia and other regions: raising awareness and mobilizing finances, building capacity, and sharing knowledge. It is playing a crucial role in coordinating sectors, governments and international organizations to work together, by for example, bringing together health officials, animal disease experts and ministry officials from different countries. Still, as Wilson says there is much to be done. The FAO and OIE (the World Organisation for Animal Health) estimate it may require $100 million to properly address the animal health issue in the region. “We are trying to think long term and to develop a global strategy to address the disease,” he says. The Bank is now working with other partners to assess country preparedness and ways to better share information along the way as a global strategy is developed. Get the latest updates and information on Avian Flu:  Food & Agriculture Organization
U.S. Centers for Disease Control
World Health Organization
World Organisation for Animal Health
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