Donors Give $11 Million for Bird Flu
By Seng Ratana, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
09 May 2008
The government=92s national Bird Flu Plan got an $11 million injection
from donors Friday in a bid to strengthen the response to a potential
outbreak over the next three years.
The Bird Flu Plan is a three-year project that combines the
participation of the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture
and the National Committee for Disaster Management.
The plan calls for improving animal and human health and for better
preparation against a potential pandemic of avian influenza, the H2N1
virus.
Ly Sovan, deputy director of the infectious diseases department of the
Ministry of Health, said the government has six separate priorities
for fighting the spread of the disease, and he encouraged donors=97which
included Japan and the World Bank=97to send the pledged funds as soon as
possible.
Japanese Ambassador Katsuhiro Shinohara said Cambodia played an
important role in minimizing the threat of bird flu.
World Bank country director Ian Porter said the project will help the
government assess and improve its national comprehensive plan.
