PRESS CONFERENCE BY United Nations system avian influenza coordinator

Following generous pledges of $1.9 billion last January, the upcoming International Conference on Avian Influenza -- to be held in Bamako, Mali, from 6 to 8 December -– would seek between $1.3 billion and $1.5 billion to further advance world efforts to counter the threat of the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus over the next two to three years, David Nabarro, United Nations System Avian Influenza Coordinator, said at a Headquarters press conference this morning.

Focusing on the needs of Africa, the longer term needs of Asia and the Middle East, as well as the continuing requirements of the international system, the event would have “a strong Africa focus”, he said, adding that it would also address the continued needs of Asian countries.  The biannual “take-stock” meeting in Bamako -- organized by the African Union, the European Commission and the Government of Mali -- would assess the current situation, world preparedness for a possible pandemic and the role of the United Nations system in that regard.

“We are just about to enter another interesting phase in our work,” he continued, noting that he “delighted” with the level of effort that countries had shown in the last 12 months, working hard to upgrade their public health systems, introduce changes in behaviour and improve social mobilization.  Many countries had also started to deal with the socio-economic consequences of the virus.

However, the danger was still there, he said, pointing out that the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus was still active in many parts of the world, and stressing the importance of being prepared for a human pandemic.  The number of human avian flu cases this year had already exceeded that of previous years.  Despite the significant achievements of control programmes in such countries as Viet Nam, Thailand, Indonesia and China, the virus had moved into Eastern Europe, the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa.  The situation in Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti and the Sudan was also a cause of concern, which had led to a decision to evaluate the needs and preparedness of African countries at next week’s conference.

The international community had responded generously to the challenges posed by avian influenza, pledging $1.9 billion at a conference in Beijing, last January, he said.  Half of that amount was in the form of grants, which was “good money to have”, because the receiving countries did not have to repay it.  Some $1.4 billion of those funds had been committed and about $700 million had already been disbursed.  The reason why additional funding pledges would be made in Bamako was that the financial needs of African nations had not been fully met.

He said the draft report of the Bamako Conference was already available on the Internet in two parts:  a progress report, with country analysis and recommendations, including a complete summary of what had been done with the money pledged at the beginning of the year; and a consolidated action plan for the United Nations system.  Current priorities included improving animal health systems to reduce risk and enhance countries’ ability to respond to avian influenza.  Another area of focus related to the human health systems, which must be prepared to deal with disease and prevent human-to-human transmission.

It was important to keep in mind that the virus could move around in wild ducks, geese and other poultry, which could carry the virus without any symptoms, he warned.  Another danger emanated from trade in live poultry.  It was necessary to be on guard and to deal with outbreaks promptly through detection and culling programmes.  Public awareness efforts were also important, as was cooperation between the public and private sectors, and joint efforts by central and local authorities.

Asked about the mechanisms for the disbursement of pledged funds, Mr. Nabarro said a multi-donor disbursement facility managed by the World Bank had been specifically designed to get the money to receiving countries.  However, most countries announcing pledges in Beijing had earmarked their pledges for direct assistance or for international and regional organizations.  On offer in Bamako was a new financing mechanism –- a consolidated pathway for directing money to the United Nations system without splitting it among various agencies.

In response to a question about the mutation of H5N1, he said an article on that matter in a recent issue of the New England Journal of Medicine discussed the evolving nature of the virus.  Like all other influenza viruses, H5N1 remained a recognizable kind of virus while constantly changing.  There were currently two clades of influenza H5N1 virus moving around.  Of interest was the emergence of new sub-clades (or variations) that showed either different virulence or resistance to known vaccines and anti-viral drugs.

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For information media • not an official record