Australia Commits 5 Million Dollars To Fight Bird Flu In ASEAN
AUSTRALIA - Australia has pledged 5 million dollars in aid to the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) to help boost the region's fight against such infectious diseases as bird flu, an official said Friday.
12 January 2007
2 minute read
Australian Trade Minister Warren Truss said the funding would help "reduce the economic, social and disease burden of emerging infections that threaten the East Asian region."
The funding would be provided through the Australian Agency for International Development.
It "will help ASEAN countries to enhance regional preparedness for the capacity to cope with emerging infectious diseases such as avian influenza," Truss said on the sidelines of the ASEAN and East Asian leaders' summits in Cebu province, 585 kilometres south of Manila.
"Activities will include workshops on strengthening regional and national laboratories, reviews of internet-based surveillance networks, training of response team trainers and development of a ministerial agreement on deploying multinational response teams," he added.
Source: Playfuls
