Vietnam - Avian influenza has caused major economic damage

[Sally Furniss]

Hands pandemic response

(ANTD) - At the global conference on avian and pandemic influenza in humans - IMCAPI 2010 through opening 20-4 in the morning, the international community has appreciated the efforts of Vietnam in the anti-persistence battle with bird flu during the past 7 years. However, experts warned of a pandemic highly pathogenic avian influenza can still occur in the future.

Influenza pandemic is a global problem

Whether viewed as a model of successful coping with bird flu, but so far, Vietnam has not yet been paid avian influenza, is the second largest in the world for the proportion of people with high mortality. Accordingly, the avian influenza began to appear in Vietnam in late 2003, a rate spread and spread wide, only 4-2004 to December, avian influenza has spread to 63 provinces across water with 24% of communes in the country are infected with influenza. After 7 years, avian influenza has caused major economic damage, not less to influence people's lives.

More than 52 million birds were destroyed, livestock stagnation, stagnation of trade, tourism and rural areas directly affected. Vietnam had to mobilize the entire political system in the same, thanks to this effort, along with the help and support from the international community, Vietnam has succeeded to control bird flu pandemic . Pandemic risk has been pushed back, the damage is reduced significantly.

However, the world as well as Vietnam has been warned about a future pandemic. Mr. Rakesh Nangia, Special Representative of the World Health Organization said WHO, WHO certified risk of pandemic influenza remains a challenge in the period 2010-2015 for all humanity.

Last time, pandemic influenza has caused the greatest damage to the country. In the period 2003-2004, avian influenza has caused damage of up to 2% of global GDP. Statistics show that highly pathogenic avian influenza was confirmed in 64 countries, making 290 the total number of deaths in 491 cases of influenza infection. He confirmed Nangia, damage caused by bird flu is not over, it will continue to be challenging for all mankind in the future.

As a world, as a general health, ideas and methods of this action were participants IMCAPI 2010 introduced and passed the same uniform. European Commission Director James Moran said that no country alone can solve this problem. The need for national coordination, exchange information, share experiences and scientific and technical advances, planning, preparedness for a pandemic may occur in the future.

Moran adds that there will be many changes of habitat, so we must be ready to prepare for all that can happen where people are not anticipated.

In recent time, Vietnam has attempted to bring together both the political system to cope with the pandemic and avian influenza H1N1, is the information Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan said that in light IMCAPI 2010 through.

Deputy Prime Minister said that through this conference, we will give general direction during the next 20 years. "IMCAPI 2010 to review, which set out the measures and ways of international cooperation in disease prevention on a global scale with the existing challenges and challenges that may occur in the future," Deputy Prime Minister stressed.

According to Deputy Prime Minister, in the future, should the international community towards multidisciplinary approach rather limited in the field of medical and veterinary Need to shift from emergency response to respond strategically.

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Re: Vietnam - Avian influenza has caused major economic damage

Preparing for the next pandemic

Viet Nam News spoke to delegates to the International Ministerial Conference on Animal and Pandemic Influenza yesterday about the continuing bird flu threat.



What are your expectations for this conference?

Dr John Marc Olive, WHO representative in Viet Nam:

It's been seven years now that Viet Nam and other parts of the world have been fighting influenza and the disease has come to the end of a cycle in which there are now only 12 countries reported to have it and only three reporting human cases. It's however important that people understand the risk is still there. If it's not H5N1, it can be any kind of other avian influenza virus. I also expect political and financial commitments between major partners to achieve global partnership in the control of avian influenza.

Dr Dennis Carroll, Special Advisor to the USAID Administrator on Pandemic Influenza:

There is a reason why the conference is here in Viet Nam and that's the reflection of the siginicant progress that the Government has made over the last few years to bring the threats of avian flu under control. So there are clearly many lessons to learn from the Vietnamese experience. The experiences of controlling H5N1 can provide insights for the world, and countries around the world can better prepare themselves and address broader threats posed by diseases that arrive from animal population.

Why does bird flu persist in Viet Nam, despite all the Government efforts to control it? What's the most difficult thing for Viet Nam in controlling the spread of the disease?

Julie Hall, Senior Technical Advisor, UN System Influenza Coordination:

The Government has made genuine efforts to tackle this virus. They're seeing quite marked successes in reducing the number of human cases, animal outbreaks and areas in Viet Nam infected with the virus, but we know that it will take more time and effort to be able to fully control the virus. Like many other countries in Asia, Viet Nam has a large population of poultry and people, and this provides the opportunity for the virus to thrive. That's why we have a global conference here with representatives from different countries.

Dr Gardner Murray, Special Adviser, World Organisation for Animal Health Regional Coordination Unit for Southeast Asia:

There are five countries in which the disease is well strengthed, including Viet Nam, China and Indonesia. It requires a sustained response to manage and eradicate the disease. I've worked with the Vietnamese authorities for years, not only in influenza but other diseases, and I'm very impressed by the commitment to try and manage not only infuenza but foot-and-mouth disease.



What can the global community and Viet Nam do to create a safe and healthy living environment?

Murray: "One world, one health" means animal, human and environmental health working together, rather than having different organisations to manage different programmes. It means that doctors and vets and environmentalists need to work together so that we understand the disease. The OIE, FAO, WHO are increasingly working together in a multi-disciplined way. What you can see in Viet Nam is the intersector collaboration is improving over time.

Olive: The more agencies are co-ordinated, the more benefit Viet Nam will receive because there will be less repitition, a greater focus on real issues, and more collaborated efforts.



What will be the response to future pandemics occuring in an animal-human interface?

Hall: Our job is to help with the co-ordination, and we have seen from the pandemic last year that countries, the private sector and UN agencies are in harmony in preparing for this kind of event over the next ten years.

And we hope that, out of this conference, is a recognition of how important that preparation has been and that there is an impressive global response to the pandemic. We have a great opportunity to learn from this event to build our system. So it's about continuing on the work has been done, building on the successes, optimising our learning and strengthening for the future.

Murray: The OIE has a number of programmes to strengthen capacities in countries. In other words, if you don't have good vet services to identify the disease on the farm, it will spread. One of the programs OIE has is the Performance of Veterinary Services tool. The OIE works with Viet Nam to evaluate the best services in the country so the Vietnamese Government can make suggestions for the best vet services. We're all very proud that Viet Nam has been the first country engage in this evaluation process.

Of the many means that your organisation has used to help Viet Nam treat/control the avian flu and A/H1N1 viruses, what has been the most effective?

Carroll: We'll continue to have a strong partnership with the Government of Viet Nam, both with the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, to ensure a sustained commitment to controlling H5N1. We'll be exploring in our own way how we'll be able to expand beyond H5N1. USAID is launching the "Emerging Pandemic Threats Programme" this year, and Viet Nam will be a partner in that programme, which will focus on building on the success of H5N1 to address the broader threat caused by zoological diseases. ? VNS

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Re: Vietnam - Avian influenza has caused major economic damage

Time to act on flu threat



Workers of the Tan Thuan Export Processing Zone in HCM City receive flu vaccinations. ? VNA/VNS Photo The Anh

HA NOI ? The fight to control influenza pandemics is still a great challenge for the international community, said Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan during the opening of the 7th International Ministerial Conference on Animal and Pandemic Influenza (IMCAPI) yesterday in Ha Noi.

"The H5N1 virus still exists and circulates in the environment and the potential risk of a pandemic still remains as a challenge faced by us all," said Nhan.

"The theme of this international ministerial conference entitled Animal influenza and Influenza pandemics: The way forward is entirely relevant and imperative."

The event, organised by the Government of Viet Nam in co-ordination with the European Union and the United States, drew the participation of agriculture and health ministers from more than 100 countries and representatives from many international organisation and institutions.

Also speaking at the event, Health Minister of Viet Nam Nguyen Quoc Trieu said that the health threat from animals was becoming more serious.

"Policy makers increasingly recognise that a high proportion of infectious diseases in humans come from animals, and that these dangerous diseases such as SARS, H5N1 and H1N1,have high economic costs and even political consequences," said Trieu.
"Therefore, addressing animal and pandemic influenza has become crucially important and requires the international community to collaborate closely in implementing strategic plans of action."

The two-day meeting saw participants discuss ways to ensure avian influenza control and the best ways to respond to any outbreaks during the next 20 years.

Ministers also reviewed threats posed by the highly pathogenic H5N1 Avian Influenza as well as other threats from emerging and new diseases. They agreed on actions to be undertaken at national and international levels in order to ensure preparedness against outbreaks and address these threats to protect human health and people's livelihood.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the first avian influenza outbreak occurred in Viet Nam in late 2003. In April 2004, the disease quickly spread through 57 out of 63 provinces and 24 per cent of communes reported outbreaks of the disease.

The outbreaks resulted in not only economic losses in which 52 million birds were culled, causing stagnation to poultry production and disruption to poultry movement and trade, but also seriously affected the tourism sector and livelihood of rural poor households as well as the deaths of many people infected with the virus.
The Government of Viet Nam has mobilised the political system and society to engage in pandemic prevention and control. Thanks to the efforts of the people, the government and international financial support, Viet Nam has succeeded in controlling H5N1 avian influenza in poultry and the spread of H5N1 in humans. ? VNS

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