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[FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]Indonesia, foreign donors reach agreement on bird flu 'war'[/FONT]
Deutsche Presse Agentur
http://rawstory.com/news/2006/Indonesia_foreign_donors_reach_agre_09152006.html
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]Published: Friday September 15, 2006[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]
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Jakarta- Saying Indonesia was in a "war on bird flu," key international donors and the Jakarta government reached an agreement Friday to make up a 100-million-dollar shortfall in funds needed to stop the H5N1 virus in the world's worst-affected nation. The sides agreed on a comprehensive plan to expand containment and preventive measures across the vast Indonesian archipelago that they hope would entice donors and international lending agencies to release tens of millions of dollars.
Just last month, donors expressed shock that the Jakarta government was planning to reduce spending on bird flu in its 2007 state budget at a time when it was facing a 100-million-dollar shortfall. Indonesia, which now has 49 human deaths and epidemics among poultry populations in 29 of its 33 provinces, needs 250 million dollars a year to contain the virus.
Indonesia has been criticized for reacting too late and failing to heed international advice after bird flu was first detected in the country in 2003, and now the country is the runaway leader in human and poultry deaths.
"I'm not at all saying it's under control, but I am saying we have reached an agreement today on a way forward," David Nabarro, the United Nation's chief coordinator for avian flu, told a press conference after meeting with Indonesian, World Bank and US government officials.
The Jakarta government has agreed to use some of the hundreds of millions of dollars it has set aside for natural-disaster relief and poverty-reduction programs for prevention and containment, said Aburizal Bakrie, Indonesia's coordinating minister for people's welfare.
"Indonesia is very serious ... in taking down this problem," Bakrie told the press conference, noting that the country has a myriad of other health problems that kill thousands of people each month.
In order to prevent the virus from mutating into a human-to-human form that could create a pandemic and kill millions, the Jakarta government agreed to rapidly expand animal-control measures, by vaccinating and culling poultry as needed and also compensating chicken farmers.
Indonesia's Agriculture Ministry will also triple the number of early surveillance and response programs to 150 provincial districts across the country.
Nabarro said Indonesia had "come a long way" in the past three months, but noted that its planned animal-control expansion hinges on donor money.
"That is our objective. To get the money to start to flow," he said.
The US Agency for International Development announced during Friday's meetings that it would give 3.2 million dollars in new aid, and the World Bank discussed a possible 15 million dollar grant to control the virus and provide funds for culling and compensation.
? 2006 DPA - Deutsche Presse-Agenteur
Deutsche Presse Agentur
http://rawstory.com/news/2006/Indonesia_foreign_donors_reach_agre_09152006.html
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]Published: Friday September 15, 2006[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]
[/FONT][/FONT]
Jakarta- Saying Indonesia was in a "war on bird flu," key international donors and the Jakarta government reached an agreement Friday to make up a 100-million-dollar shortfall in funds needed to stop the H5N1 virus in the world's worst-affected nation. The sides agreed on a comprehensive plan to expand containment and preventive measures across the vast Indonesian archipelago that they hope would entice donors and international lending agencies to release tens of millions of dollars.
Just last month, donors expressed shock that the Jakarta government was planning to reduce spending on bird flu in its 2007 state budget at a time when it was facing a 100-million-dollar shortfall. Indonesia, which now has 49 human deaths and epidemics among poultry populations in 29 of its 33 provinces, needs 250 million dollars a year to contain the virus.
Indonesia has been criticized for reacting too late and failing to heed international advice after bird flu was first detected in the country in 2003, and now the country is the runaway leader in human and poultry deaths.
"I'm not at all saying it's under control, but I am saying we have reached an agreement today on a way forward," David Nabarro, the United Nation's chief coordinator for avian flu, told a press conference after meeting with Indonesian, World Bank and US government officials.
The Jakarta government has agreed to use some of the hundreds of millions of dollars it has set aside for natural-disaster relief and poverty-reduction programs for prevention and containment, said Aburizal Bakrie, Indonesia's coordinating minister for people's welfare.
"Indonesia is very serious ... in taking down this problem," Bakrie told the press conference, noting that the country has a myriad of other health problems that kill thousands of people each month.
In order to prevent the virus from mutating into a human-to-human form that could create a pandemic and kill millions, the Jakarta government agreed to rapidly expand animal-control measures, by vaccinating and culling poultry as needed and also compensating chicken farmers.
Indonesia's Agriculture Ministry will also triple the number of early surveillance and response programs to 150 provincial districts across the country.
Nabarro said Indonesia had "come a long way" in the past three months, but noted that its planned animal-control expansion hinges on donor money.
"That is our objective. To get the money to start to flow," he said.
The US Agency for International Development announced during Friday's meetings that it would give 3.2 million dollars in new aid, and the World Bank discussed a possible 15 million dollar grant to control the virus and provide funds for culling and compensation.
? 2006 DPA - Deutsche Presse-Agenteur