U.N. bird flu chief wants $1.5 bln to fight virus

By Ben Blanchard

BEIJING (Reuters) – The senior U.N. coordinator for avian
and human influenza will press for $1.5 billion to be pledged
at a donor conference opening on Tuesday, arguing that the
battle against the bird flu is far from over.

The World Bank aims to raise $1.2 billion at the conference
in Beijing to battle a virus that has killed 79 people since
late 2003, according to World Health Organization (WHO)
figures, but David Nabarro said he would like to see more.

“To be asking the world to invest $1.5 billion, which is
the total I would like to see, to be asking for that sort of
money, is really a very small amount in comparison with the
total cost to the world of a pandemic,” he told Reuters in an
interview.

“We can’t at this stage say that the situation globally is
under control. However, I have seen a great increase in the
intensity with which countries are tackling avian influenza.”

The two-day meeting, sponsored by the World Bank, the
European Union and the Chinese government, will also hammer out
a strategy against bird flu to stop the deadly H5N1 virus
triggering a human pandemic that could kill millions.

“Certainly, in the event of a human influenza pandemic,
more will be required,” the Briton said.

Nabarro, a former senior WHO official named by U.N.
Secretary-General Kofi Annan to the post last year, said he
thought it was unlikely the full amount he wants will be
pledged because of competing demands, such as natural disaster
relief.

“It’s just that when we are in a world where there are so
many different demands for resources, it’s quite hard to push
the system to deliver the kind of level you want,” he said.

The World Bank approved a $500 million line of credit last
week, and the European Union has pledged $100 million in aid.

GATES OF EUROPE

The virus is already endemic across parts of Asia. Human
victims had been confined to East Asia until recently, when at
least three infected children died in Turkey, bringing the
virus to the gates of Europe and the Middle East.

Nabarro said he could not say where bird flu would crop up
next, though he thought migrating birds could bring it to
Africa.

“Until we stop seeing these new outbreaks of avian
influenza we cannot say that we have the situation under
control, and that means we must stay vigilant,” he said.

Migrating birds are thought to be responsible for the
spread of the virus between regions, although the transport of
live poultry — likely to increase in China and Vietnam during
Lunar New Year holidays in late January — could also play a
role.

China is seen as a key battleground because it is home to
the world’s biggest poultry population, the bulk of which live
in backyard farms with close contact with people.

The money will be aimed at improving health and veterinary
services in developing countries grappling with outbreaks, and
strengthening surveillance programmes in areas not yet
affected.

Representatives from 89 countries, both aid donors and
recipients, will attend the conference, along with delegates
from more than 20 international organisations, including the
WHO and the Food and Agriculture Organization.

Nabarro said now was the time to prepare to fight bird flu
if it does turn into a pandemic.

“Let’s make sure that we don’t get overly predictive and
instead stress to every country in the world, get prepared for
the bird flu, get prepared for the human flu,” he said. “Avian
influenza is not the only condition that is likely to shift
from the animal population to humans. There will be others as
well.”