Bird Flu (Avian Influenza)

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23 February 2006
USAID Increases Funding for Bird Flu Preparedness

By Kathryn McConnell
Washington File Staff Writer

Washington -- The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is increasing funding for poor countries' preparations for a potential avian influenza pandemic, agency officials say.

In overall USAID programs, the agency also is expanding its focus on strengthening weak or "fragile states," officials said.

USAID has identified $2.1 million for bird flu activities, adding to $15.6 million already committed for the budget year that began October 1, 2005 (fiscal year 2006). The increased financial commitment to bird flu and pandemic prevention comes in response to recently confirmed cases of disease in increasing numbers of nations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the agency reports.

USAID officials in Washington on February 22 briefed members of the agency's Advisory Committee on Voluntary Foreign Aid (ACVFA) on current directions of foreign assistance, including aid for bird flu preparedness.

STRENTHENING FLU SURVEILLANCE AND LOCAL EDUCATION

U.S. funds earmarked for bird flu are being used to strengthen animal and human disease surveillance, train and equip the people who would be the first responders to a national flu crisis and teach farmers and bird sellers about what they can do to identify flu symptoms and reduce the spread of the disease, said Dennis Carroll, USAID senior infectious disease adviser.

Booming growth in human and poultry populations and the proximity of people and livestock in backyard farms common to many developing countries could create a high probability of viruses transmitting from live birds to people, Carroll said.

The unregulated marketing of birds in the developing world and the movements of migratory birds are other "driving forces" behind the spread of the disease, he said.

In the two-year-old outbreak of avian influenza, the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus has caused the death or destruction of an estimated 200 million birds. More than 170 people have contracted the disease; over 90 of them have died. International health officials warn that the virus could mutate to become contagious among people, causing rapidly spreading disease among humans who lack immunity to this strain of influenza.

To prevent that from happening, a nation must organize a national response to disease within three weeks of an outbreak of bird flu, Carroll said.

In implementing an effective response to the threat of an bird flu pandemic, USAID and nongovernmental groups need to bring together workers from different fields, such as those devoted to agriculture, health, infrastructure and communications, Carroll said.

In addition, aid providers must develop programs to compensate farmers for killing and disposing birds suspected of being infected, he added.

These providers also need to help countries obtain and pre-position stockpiles of anti-virals, personal protective equipment and other items, such as soap.

"We need to build a fire hydrant before the fire," Carroll said of the need for investing in preparedness.

In a related measure, ACVFA has created an avian influenza task force to keep its members informed of bird flu developments in poor countries, said Nancy Aossey, a member of the task force and president of the International Medical Corps, a global nonprofit humanitarian organization with headquarters in Santa Monica, California.

The United States has undertaken a number of actions to help developing countries contend with bird flu outbreaks. (See related article.)

ENHANCING STABILITY OF FRAGILE STATES

USAID officials also discussed foreign assistance goals and programs in general at the meeting.

For the fiscal year that begins October 1, USAID is requesting $50 million for "transition initiatives" that include help for fragile states. This is a $10 million increase over funding provided for the initiative for the current fiscal year, according to James Painter, deputy assistant administrator for policy and program coordination.

USAIDs's fragile state strategy is intended to enhance stability, improve security, encourage reforms and develop institutional capabilities in vulnerable countries, many of which are in Africa, according to officials in the agency's Africa bureau.

As part of the strategy, USAID is working more with U.S. military personnel on transition projects -- projects previously considered "strictly development." These include such projects as building schools and improving infrastructures, said Wade Warren, the USAID Africa bureau's director of development planning.

The military also can help USAID and nongovernmental partners build up local institutions, said Chris Hoh, director for response strategy and resource management at the U.S. State Department.

In coordination with the State and Defense departments, USAID is providing training to military forces assigned to these efforts, said Warren.

Other USAID strategic goals include promoting "transformational development," or fundamental changes in governance, economic structures and use of human resources. The agency believes that "reasonably stable" developing countries eventually can sustain economic growth and social progress without depending on foreign aid.

The agency's aid goals include helping countries that are strategically important to the United States; providing humanitarian assistance; and addressing such issues as HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases, climate change, biodiversity, and support for international trade agreements and counternarcotics efforts.

ACVFA was established after World War II to serve as a link between the U.S. government and private voluntary organizations involved in international aid.

More information on the USAID bird flu efforts and strategic goals is available on the agency's Web site.

For additional information on U.S. and international bird flu programs, see Bird Flu.

(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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