ASEAN to boost bird flu pandemic control

23/07/2008 -- 9:25 PM

Hanoi (VNA) -Bird flu chiefs from across Southeast Asia have agreed to assess the ability of their governments to respond to a deadly human pandemic of the H5N1 virus, reported foreign media on July 23. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) agreed that its member countries must be better organised to tackle a human-to-human outbreak of H5N1, Bayu Krisnamurthi, the head of Indonesia’s National Committee for bird flu control and Pandemic Preparedness was quoted as saying. Many of the 10 states lacked organised bureaucracy or infrastructure to tackle a pandemic, which could kill millions if it mutates into a more easily transmittable form, Krisnamurthi said, adding that Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam have experienced human cases but others have not. Therefore, ASEAN countries are expected to finish assessing their preparedness by January or February next year, Krisnamurthi said. He also revealed that health ministers from the 10 ASEAN states will also meet in the Philippines in October to discuss preparedness and the need to develop a "common language" to deal with the threat.-Enditem
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