Manila - Asia's largest security forum on Thursday called on countries in the region to enhance cooperation with international health bodies in fighting avian influenza. The 27-member ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) warned that bird flu "continued to pose a significant potential threat to countries in the region."
"The ministers agreed that it was important that states were committed to transparency in the reporting of influenza cases in humans and animals and stressed the prompt sharing of epidemiological data with the WHO (World Health Organization)," the group said in a statement at the end of the day-long meeting in Manila.
The ARF underscored the need for capacity-building in order to prevent and contain emerging epidemics, and the early intervention in response to potential outbreaks.
On Tuesday, a pregnant 22-year-old Vietnamese woman was the latest fatality of the bird flu disease that has been plaguing Asia for the past four years.
Bird flu has killed at least 192 people worldwide since it emerged in 2003, according to the WHO. The number of human victims remain low, but scientist worry that the virus can mutate into a new human influenza strain and trigger a flu pandemic that might kill millions.
During the meetings in Manila, the Australian government pledged 850 million Australian dollars (725 million US) in aid for ASEAN members in their projects to fight bird flu, according to ASEAN spokesman Victoriano Lecaros.
Lecaros said the bulk of the financial assistance will go to Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines as part of the Australian government's initiative to fight bird flu. ASEANgroups Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Myanmar, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Other members of the regional forum are Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand North and South Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Sri Lanka, United States and Timor Leste.
