The Avian and Human Influenza Facility of the World Bank announced today that six grants with a combined value of US$28 million have been approved to assist some 13 countries in five regions to fight the threat posed by avian and human influenza:
o US$10 million for Vietnam to provide for early detection and response to human cases, and prepare for medical consequences of a possible human pandemic;
o US$10 million for Indonesia to reduce the amount of virus circulating in the environment and its possible mutation to a human-to-human transmittal form;
o US$5 million for Afghanistan to control infections among birds and domestic poultry, and prepare responses to possible human infection and related emergencies;
o US1.5 million for Tajikistan to minimize the threat to humans by highly pathogenic avian influenza infection and other zoonoses.
o US$1 million to assist the Middle East Consortium on Infectious Disease Surveillance in facilitating information exchanges among Jordan, Israel and West Bank and Gaza;
o US$0.5 million to strengthen the Southern Agricultural Council for Avian Flu Preparedness, in Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.