WHO: Global campaign against bird flu will cost more than 250 million US dollars
In Indonesia, "extraordinary" emergency measures are taken after a fourth person is killed by the H5N1 virus; a zoo has been closed in southern Jakarta after 19 infected birds were found there.
Jakarta (AsiaNews) The world campaign to prevent a possible pandemic of bird flu in humans will cost more than 250 million US dollars in the next 12 months. This was announced today by an executive of the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Shigeru Omi, director of WHO for Asia-Pacific, said identifying and then treating people infected by bird flu would cost 160 million US dollars and another 100 million would be needed for monitoring and vaccines for animals.
Speaking on the sidelines of a WHO meeting in Nomea (New Caledonia), Omi said the organization was already holding talks with governments from several developed countries and was "very encouraged" by the level of commitment indicated.
The WHO announcements follow a declaration by Indonesia that "extraordinary measures" were being taken to contain the disease which so far has killed four people in the country. The Health Ministry yesterday decided to close the Ragunan Zoo in southern Jakarta for 21 days. The move came after the Agriculture Ministry found 19 birds infected by H5N1 there. Other zoos in the country have also been placed on alert.
Meanwhile, two bird flu suspects have been officially identified: they are two children from Tangerang Regency and they have been admitted to the
Sulianti Saroso Special Hospital in north Jakarta. They are both relatives of Rini Dina Prasetyaningsih, Indonesia's fourth and last victim of the lethal virus.
Other government measures include forced hospitalization of people suspected to be infected and who show symptoms of the disease. The Ministry of Health has so far prepared at least 44 hospitals for a possible emergency.
Bird flu broke out among birds in Asia in 2003: the H5N1 virus has killed 63 people, most of them in Vietnam and Thailand and resulted in the death of more than 140 million birds.
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25/07/2005
