PRESS RELEASE

February 10, 2009

United States Sponsors Avian Influenza Activities in Ha Nam

PHU LY, Vietnam, February 10, 2009 – Vietnamese authorities today launched an integrated package of activities funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to prevent and control avian and human influenza in Ha Nam province.

The Ha Nam workshop gathered senior officials from the provincial and district People’s Committees, the Department of Animal Health of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and Department of Health, and Department of Livestock Production, USAID and its partners. 

One of five USAID-supported provinces in Vietnam, along with Hung Yen, Quang Tri, Can Tho and Kien Giang, Ha Nam has experienced eight avian influenza outbreaks in poultry in the past two years.  Located near the capital, Hanoi, Ha Nam has a large poultry market with many small commercial poultry farms and a bustling poultry trade. Many commune-based animal health workers and local officials have also not been formally trained to prevent avian flu.

Implementing partners will train animal health workers, commune authorities, agricultural extension workers, traders and transporters and small commercial poultry farmers on avian and human influenza prevention and control. District authorities will gain new skills in epidemiology and active surveillance and provincial health officers will receive training in pandemic preparedness and planning.  Implementers will launch communication activities to increase public awareness of the disease.

Vietnam is one of the countries most affected by highly pathogenic avian influenza caused by the H5N1 virus. Since 2005, the country has suffered millions of dollars in economic losses due to H5N1 outbreaks in poultry.  Although government leadership has been successful in significantly reducing the number of outbreaks, the virus is endemic in the country’s poultry population. Since 2005, the U.S. government through USAID has provided $27.5 million for avian influenza prevention and control in Vietnam, including a new two-year provincial level operational research project to identify best practices and policy guidance on safe, effective, and sustainable poultry vaccination to limit AI transmission.