BIRD FLU-HIT ASIAN COUNTRIES VOWED ON FRIDAY TO UNITE TO FIGHT THE DEADLY VIRUS AND SAID THEY RECOGNISED THE NEED TO BETTER COORDINATE EFFORTS BETWEEN HEALTH AND FARM AGENCIES AT NATIONAL LEVEL, ACCORDING TO REUTERS. MINISTERS AND SENIOR OFFICIALS FROM 11 ASIAN COUNTRIES, INCLUDING CHINA, INDONESIA AND THAILAND, AGREED TO SHARE KNOWLEDGE OF AVIAN INFLUENZA, INCLUDING INVESTIGATION OF CASES AND OUTBREAKS, WHICH HAVE KILLED 134 PEOPLE SINCE 2003. IN THE "DELHI DECLARATION" -- AGREED AFTER A TWO-DAY MEETING HOSTED BY THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION, THE FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL ORGANISATION AND THE INDIAN GOVERNMENT -- NATIONS ALSO PLEDGED TO COLLABORATE TO DEVELOP AND PRODUCE DRUGS, VACCINES AND DIAGNOSTIC TESTS AND PROMOTE RESEARCH. INDIA IS CLOSE TO DEVELOPING ITS OWN VACCINE AGAINST AVIAN FLU IN POULTRY WITH FINAL TRIALS SHOWING A 90 PERCENT SUCCESS. THAILAND ALSO HAS PLANS TO TEST BIRD FLU VACCINES ON HUMANS. "WE ARE WORKING TOWARDS A NEW MODEL OF REGIONAL COLLABORATION AMONG COUNTRIES IN ASIA AND THE COMMITMENTS WE HAVE MADE TODAY WOULD REQUIRE A LOT OF COORDINATION BETWEEN COUNTRIES AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS," SAID ANBUMANI RAMADOSS, INDIA'S HEALTH MINISTER. "COUNTRIES HAVE TO COORDINATE TO SHARE INFORMATION NOT ONLY ABOUT OUTBREAKS BUT ALSO ABOUT PREPAREDNESS LEVELS," HE ADDED. ASIAN NATIONS ALSO VOWED IN THE DECLARATION TO BRIDGE THE LACK OF COORDINATION BETWEEN FARM AND HEALTH DEPARTMENTS, WHICH OFFICIALS SAID WAS HAMPERING THE FIGHT AGAINST THE VIRUS. POOR COORDINATION WHO OFFICIALS SAY ONE MAJOR PROBLEM IN FIGHTING THE VIRUS LIES IN THE DIFFERING FOCUS OF HEALTH AND FARM OR ANIMAL HUSBANDRY DEPARTMENTS.
