Egypt to spend 40 million dollars fighting bird flu

[Theresa42]

Hat-tip, christian!

Egypt to spend 40 million dollars fighting bird flu
Sun Apr 15, 2:38 PM ET

CAIRO (AFP) - Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif on Sunday allocated 240 million pounds (42 million dollars) to the ministries of health and agriculture to help combat bird flu, the official MENA news agency said.

The highly pathogenic virus has killed 14 people out of 34 cases reported since the disease was first diagnosed in Egypt in February last year.

The new budget will help "improve veterinary laboratories, provide the necessary equipment and preparation for immunising the birds, and for the training of 1,200 veterinary doctors," Ayman Alkaffas, spokesman for the Supreme National Committee to Combat Bird Flu, was quoted by MENA as saying.

Egypt's geographical location on major bird migration routes and the widespread practice of keeping domestic fowl near living quarters have led to it being the hardest-hit country outside of Asia.

"The wrong attitude of people is one of the biggest impediments to combatting the spread of the virus in homes," Alkaffas said.

"The fact that children are found in the areas where poultry are raised is another reason for the fast spread of the disease," he added.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070415/hl_afp/healthfluegypt

 

[Theresa42]

Re: Egypt to spend 40 million dollars fighting bird flu

Google-translated from Arabic:

"Kavas": 240 million pounds .. To combat avian flu
Manufacturing serums and vaccines .. Raising the efficiency of veterinary labs
April 16, 2007

Hashim Abdella wrote:

D decided. Ahmed Nazif, the Prime Minister allocated 240 million pounds [ca. US$42M, ?31M] divided between the Ministries of Agriculture and Health to upgrade veterinary laboratories, provide equipment and supplies necessary to vaccinate birds and manufacturing vaccines, in Egypt to reduce the symptoms of avian influenza and control the disease .. Said Ayman Kavas Chairman of the General Inquiries that these amounts come to the concerns of the State address disease by all means and methods of modern scientific both in the treatment of infected cases or poultry vaccinated against the virus and provide special baits birds to preserve the wealth fowl risk.

Kavas said after a meeting of the Higher Committee on the fight against bird flu, held last night headed Hatem Gabali, Minister of Health and Population and Amin Abaza, and Minister of Agriculture and Minister Abdel Salam Mahgoub and local development, some conservatives that the Prime Minister decided to appoint a coordinator of the national campaign to combat avian flu to follow the recommendations of the High Commission and ensure the implementation of prevention programs and vaccinations and of the Commission's decisions.

http://www.algomhuria.net.eg/almessa/today/local/detail07.asp