Da Nang (VNA) – Senior Assistant to Canadian Deputy Minister of Health Ian Shugart stated that at the just-ended APEC Ministerial Meeting on Avian and Influenza Pandemics, there is a lot of interest in what Viet Nam is doing to contain bird flu.

Interviewed by the Viet Nam News Agency on the sidelines of the meeting, which took place in Viet Nam’s central city of Da Nang on May 5, Shugart, who is also head of the Canadian delegation to the meeting, said many are interested in Viet Nam’s Integrated National Operational Work Programme for Avian Influenza Control and Human Pandemic Influenza Preparedness and Response in the 2006-2010 Period (also known as the Green Book).

He stressed that “Viet Nam has been very active, and one of the important reasons for the success that Viet Nam has, has been the political commitment from the Government to deal with this in a very thorough and well-coordinated way, and that has had very good results.”

“The communication and the involvement of people at all levels from the national government right down to the level of the commune, has been another important factor,” he continued.

Asked whether other APEC members can duplicate Viet Nam’s model on bird flu control, Shugart said every economy has to adapt what it has learned from others to its own unique circumstances.

“Surveillance, good communication, very timely reporting, cooperation of the public at every level, a well-organised government to coordinate actions are all the things that in principle can be done by economies,” he added.

Shugart also emphasised the need for establishment of laboratory networks and intensification of the training of staff in different areas to further regional cooperation and coordination in the fight against bird flu.-Enditem