The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has disbursed more than USD 11 million to Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO). A communiqué from ADB said that the money is part of a $38 million fund created to counter the immediate threat posed by avian influenza, or bird flu, in the Asia and Pacific region.

The Prevention and Control of Avian Influenza aims to strengthen regional capacity and facilitate cooperation to prevent or control outbreaks among birds and to help countries manage cases of human influenza caused by the H5N1 virus. The project will also help prepare the region for a possible pandemic by supporting interagency collaboration, cooperation in sharing information, and strengthening networks.