Posted on 01/11/2006 4:55:04 PM PST by blam
UN calls for $1.5bn bird flu fund
The UN wants everyone to know the dangers of exposure to bird flu
The UN has called for $1.5bn to help implement programmes to fight bird flu and prepare for a pandemic in humans. The UN's bird flu co-ordinator said he hoped the funds would be pledged at an international donors summit to be held in Beijing on 17 and 18 January.
Vital lessons in fighting the virus are emerging from Turkey's outbreak, which has left at least two people dead from the H5N1 strain and 13 in hospital.
The UN says rapid response to outbreaks and public education is essential.
The UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation earlier warned that bird flu could become endemic in Turkey and pose a serious risk to nearby and neighbouring countries - many of which are now taking preventative action.
Health officer Juan Lubroth said it may be spreading despite controls. More than 300,000 birds have been culled.
Bird flu
The UN's bird flu co-ordinator, Dr David Nabarro said the Turkish government had taken "intense and comprehensive action to try to stamp out bird flu at source" - but more had to be done.
"The two early-stage lessons of the Turkish situation... are: number one, pay attention to the fact that vet services have got to be on the ball and quick to respond, and comprehensive in their response with culling and the rest," he said.
"And number two, communicate very precisely to people, particularly children, about the dangers of diseased, dying or dead birds."
Pledges needed
More than 70 people worldwide have died from the lethal strain of bird flu.
CONFIRMED TURKISH H5N1 CASES
Van: 7, including 2 deaths. A third death treated as a "probable case"
Ankara: 3
Kastamonu: 2
Corum: 1
Samsun: 1
Sivas: 1
Dr Nabarro said that on the basis of the information he had received so far, there was no evidence that the virus has been transmitted from human to human.
The Beijing conference, to be hosted by the EU and the World Bank, will call for pledges of money from the international community.
Dr Nabarro says the $1.5bn would be used for bird vaccination programmes, getting enough vets trained, and to prepare for the possibility of a human pandemic in which bird flu is passed from human to human.
The FAO has warned neighbouring countries to be on high alert, advising them to apply surveillance and control measures and ensure the public is fully informed about the virus.
In other developments:
Senior WHO official Shigeru Omiin says the threat in Asia is far more serious than in any other part of the world, but insists it will still be possible to change the course of the epidemic
A two day conference is being held in Tokyo to discuss fighting bird flu
The European Commission says it will extend its bird flu monitoring programme, due to finish at the end of January, until the end of 2006. An extra $2m has also been allocated to share the costs of laboratory tests with EU member states
Russia orders security measures to be stepped up at its airports and borders and its scientists warn Russians not to go to Turkey on holiday
Germany's Agricultural Minister Horst Seehofer says he is likely to order all birds be kept indoors.
The WHO is examining how bird flu has moved so quickly across the country since two people died in the eastern province of Van last week and why there have been so many cases.
Victims appeared to have contracted the virus from close contact with infected poultry. But the WHO admits it may be too soon to confirm any changes in the virus and its spread.
The WHO thinks the world is now closer to another flu pandemic than at any time since 1968, when the last of the 20th Century's three pandemics occurred.
Which country will contribute $1.4 billion?
This sounds like a job for Euro-Canadian SOFT POWER. Right up their alley.
"UN calls for $1.5bn bird flu fund" - I hope we hung up the phone. I'm tired of American money - my money - funding theses LOONS.
The UN wants money. So do a lot of other organizations. It will be like a mine field, trying to figure out what is real here.
There are many people who will make money on this problem, whether or not it is one.
If it was anybody BUT the UN. I'd think about it. I'm not game for making more cash for Kofi's pockets.
The UN has had it's embezzlement pledge drive for this and they already have commitments to embezzle $1.3 billion of the $1.5 billion. Just $200 million more to hit their goal.
bird flu fund...huh?
pardon me if I seem sceptical.
1.4 billion to study sick birds on some tropical retreat...er research facility.
And they chartered a super-luxury boat to "examine the extent of tsunami damage" far away from the shore.
The UN should seriously consider scrapping their new "office building/renovations" planned expenditures, and use those funds for this urgent unplanned "emergency".
...........(crickets chirping)........
While many complain that gov't is getting bigger all the time, others, and many of the same people, continue to increase their demands that gov't do this and that. Gov't will not get smaller as long as people demand more services. The five percent that agitate for smaller gov't will have to convince the 95% that their bird flu and wildfire and flood projects would be handled better by private enterprise or it won't happen. Putting it on local gov't won't work since local gov't passes the funding requests up the line. But, the UN and other non-governmental global societies want to work directly on national gov't as if they are somehow above gov't.
While many complain that gov't is getting bigger all the time, others, and many of the same people, continue to increase their demands that gov't do this and that. Gov't will not get smaller as long as people demand more services. The five percent that agitate for smaller gov't will have to convince the 95% that their bird flu and wildfire and flood projects would be handled better by private enterprise or it won't happen. Putting it on local gov't won't work since local gov't passes the funding requests up the line. But, the UN and other non-governmental global societies want to work directly on national gov't as if they are somehow above gov't.
Agree.
"Senior WHO official Shigeru Omiin says the threat in Asia is far more serious than in any other part of the world, but insists it will still be possible to change the course of the epidemic"
How do they expect to do this when the problem is living conditions--which is extremely unsanitary.
Bingo! Deduct it from the U$D 14 billion for Africans' AIDS prgram that we sponsor.
I'm fed up with wordwide socialism that we pay for.
W can't even find a veto pen to fight socialism at home. He does have the balls to support Rummy and our military. The only Federal worth supporting.
If I were W, I'd jetisson 90% of Washington.
It would be better to use the money for border walls in the south that giving them to UN... maybe we can help other countries who suffers this epidemic but not with finances but in kinds. And of course not tru the UN.
Kofiland. He's got it.
Dang, I thought that Kofi's son had gone into the bird flew business. That's not misspelled, if you let Kofie around money it will fly away to his bank account.
Bingo. And I'm sorry, UN, but we've already decided to piss our money away by sending it to Louisiana.
We have to fund corruption at home before we help you do it on an international scale.
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