USAID helps Vietnam fight avian influenza

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has approved a project on preventing influenza on poultry and human beings funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

The 300,000 USD project will be implemented within one year, starting from May 2012, in nine cities and provinces, including Hanoi , Ho Chi Minh City , Da Nang , Can Tho, Khanh Hoa, Kien Giang, Thua Thien Hue, Quang Tri and Lang Son.

According to the MARD’s Department of International Cooperation, the project aims to improve management quality and efficiency of the national health system, ensuring more equal access to health services for vulnerable groups.

It will strengthen knowledge administration and information sharing as well as create a favourable environment for strategic discussions on avian influenza and the epidemic.

The project will help boost the implementation of the National Coordinated Actions Programme on Avian Influenza, Pandemics Preparedness and Emerging Infectious Diseases (AIPED) in the 2011-2015 period.-VNA