PRESS RELEASE

United States and Vietnam Launch Cooperative Agreement Project for Response to Avian and Pandemic Influenza

June 14, 2007

Hanoi:  The United States and Vietnam renewed their commitment today to fighting emerging health threats, such as SARS, HIV/AIDS, and the outbreaks of avian influenza.   In a ceremony at the Ministry of Health, United States Ambassador Michael Marine and Vice Minister of Health Trinh Quan Huan announced a five-year cooperative agreement between the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Vietnam Administration of Preventive Medicine (VAPM) to combat avian and pandemic influenza. The first year’s funding for this program is US $1.15 million.

“With today’s launching,” Ambassador Marine said, “we are supporting necessary steps to better prevent, prepare for and respond to the growing threat from influenza and other epidemic diseases.”  Ambassador Marine went on to note that this collaborative project creates a strong new partnership between the United States and the Government of Vietnam’s health organizations, and observed that this project would complement other important avian influenza projects in Vietnam supported by the U.S Agency for International Development and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Through 2006, the United States has provided over US $12 Million to the Government of Vietnam to assist its efforts to combat and control avian influenza.