UN-led alliance to develop bird flu early-warning System
PAKISTAN - An alliance of organizations led by the U.N. will develop an avian flu early-warning system able to alert countries and communities to the arrival of potentially infected wild birds, the world body’s environment agency announced today.Although experts said it could take two years to be fully realized, the new initiative by the Convention on Migratory Species with support and funding from the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) will warn authorities on different continents that migratory water birds are on their way, the Nairobi-based UNEP said.
Experts from other leading organizations such as Wetlands International, Birdlife International and the International Wildlife and Game Federation are also expected to be part of the scheme.
Special maps are to be developed for individual countries pinpointing the precise locations such as lakes, marshes and other wetland areas where the birds are likely to go.
Armed with this information, local health and environment bodies on continents like Africa, Asia and in Latin America will be better able to prioritize their planning and response, which could include warning farmers to move poultry away from key wetlands so as to minimize cross transmission with migratory birds.
Source: Pakistan times
2 May 2006
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