February 9, 2006 ─ The World Bank hopes to have arrangements in place within the next month for a trust fund to handle some of the millions of dollars pledged by the international community to fight avian influenza. The international community promised US$1.9 billion to tackle avian flu and prepare for a possible human flu pandemic at the January meeting in Beijing, with the largest commitments coming from the US and the European countries. The Head of the Bank’s Avian Flu Taskforce, Jim Adams, says while the Beijing meeting saw funding earmarked for specific countries, there was interest from Europe as well as Russia, China, and Australia in contributing to a trust fund, managed by the bank. “So we’re working hard to try and get the trust fund off the ground and running,” Adams says. “The advantage of the trust fund is that it will provide grant resources to our clients. The move comes as the Bank’s Board of Directors today approved a project on avian flu for the Kyrgyz Republic, worth US$4 million. It was the first project to go before the Board under the Bank’s US$500 global facility. (see related story) Adams says at this stage the two regions most affected – East Asia and Eastern Europe – are the regions where new programs are most likely to emerge, but Africa is a priority, being on a critical flight path for migratory birds coming from infected regions. The World Health Organization announced yesterday that avian influenza was found in poultry in the north of Nigeria – the first evidence the H5VI virus has spread to Africa. “In East Asia, the one program that we have up and running is in Vietnam. It was part of an earlier program and we expect that to expand,” he says. “We have active discussions in Indonesia, Cambodia and in Laos. “In Eastern Europe, there’s a whole range of countries around Turkey that have been affected. Turkey is certainly talking actively about a program. Armenia has also approached us.” At the global level, Adams says there’s also likely to be another meeting later in the spring to assess action since the Beijing pledging conference. “I think as part of the commitment emerging out of Beijing was a very strong message of a commitment to an international partnership,” he says. “And we do expect later in the spring to have the first follow-up meeting. We’ll be meeting with both donors and recipients to talk about both the progress of the financing arrangements but just as important now, the progress in using that finance to implement programs.” In the meantime, he says the Bank is now looking at all the commitments made in Beijing, as part of a bid to ensure money begins flowing to the countries that need support. “We’re taking a look at all of the commitments, so that we can ascertain exactly where the donors would like the money to go to and ensure the money begins flowing to those activities,” Adams says. “I think we have a very strong broadly based program but what will be important is to make sure the international agencies are properly funded and individual country programs are funded. “ |
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