Contacts:
In Washington Miriam Van Dyck (202) 458-2931
mvandyck@worldbank.org
In Dushanbe Dilya Zoirova 21 07 56, 21 67 43
dzoirova@worldbank.org
Dushanbe, December 20, 2006 – Today the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan and the World Bank have held an official launch of the Avian Influenza and Human Pandemic Preparedness and Response Project in the amount of USD 5 million. Grant funding for this project was approved by the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors on June 29, 2006. The project is aimed to help the Government minimize the risks that Avian Influenza infection and other zoonoses may pose to humans and the poultry industry in Tajikistan.
The meeting has been chaired by Ms. Khairinisso Mavlonova, Deputy Prime-Minister on Social Protection and attended by representative of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection, Ministry of Health, and other concerned ministries and agencies, UNICEF, FAO, WHO, Project Management Unit and World Bank project team. Tajikistan has, so far, not had any recorded outbreaks of the highly pathogenic avian flu strain H5N1. However, cases of Avian Influenza have been reported in China, Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkey, Iraq, India, and Afghanistan. There is a risk of an H5N1 outbreak among poultry in Tajikistan through waterfowl migration and growing cross-border trade. The Government has therefore approved a Comprehensive Action Plan for Avian Influenza with technical assistance from several donors, including WHO, UNICEF and FAO. “We attach great importance to avian influenza prevention and preparedness activities, and the project requires the utmost attention of all concerned Government agencies and services”, said Ms. Khairinisso Mavlonova in her opening speech. “So far Tajikistan had no registered cases of avian influenza but we need to stay prepared as such an outbreak, if it occurs, may seriously affect the health and economic wellbeing of rural communities raising poultry on their backyards. We fully realize the challenge and will take opportunity of this project to ensure proper prevention and preparedness facilities and public awareness throughout the country.” The project’s overall objective is to minimize the possible threat of Avian Flu infection, and to prepare for, control and respond to influenza pandemics and other infectious disease emergencies in humans. The project will focus on three main areas: (i) preparedness and planning, (ii) prevention through public awareness and surveillance, and (iii) response and containment in case of an outbreak. “Among other global threats, the world community is facing the threat of spreading and human pandemic of avian influenza which for sure will have disastrous consequences for human and animal health and negative economic impact on countries”, said Mr. Bobojon Yatimov, Leader of the World Bank project team, adding the following: “The project we are launching today is one of the first initiatives aimed at preventing and ensuring adequate preparedness and response in case of such an outbreak in Tajikistan. It is definitely a product of joint collaboration of all partners and will require close coordination between them to ensure its smooth implementation”. The estimated total cost of the project is around USD 5.45 million. UNICEF, FAO and the World Health Organization will contribute US$448,000 to the project and will closely partner with the World Bank during its implementation. Project activities are grouped into four components, namely: (i) Public Awareness and Information; (ii) Animal Health; (iii) Human Health; and (iv) Implementation Support and Monitoring and Evaluation. In general, State Veterinary Department has responsibility for implementation of the Animal Health Component together with the Institute of Zoology and Parasitology and Foot and Mouth Disease Institute. Ministry of Health is responsible for implementation of the Human Health Component through the Republican Sanitary and Epidemiological Centre and Medical Service Department. Public Awareness and Information Component that cuts across multiple agencies is overseen by the Project Management Unit. For more information about the World Bank’s work in Tajikistan,
please visit
www.worldbank.org/tj For more information about the World Bank’s work on avian flu, please visit: http://www.worldbank.org/avianflu
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