The government’s national Bird Flu Plan got an $11 million injection from donors Friday in a bid to strengthen the response to a potential outbreak over the next three years.
The Bird Flu Plan is a three-year project that combines the participation of the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture and the National Committee for Disaster Management.
The plan calls for improving animal and human health and for better preparation against a potential pandemic of avian influenza, the H2N1 virus.
Ly Sovan, deputy director of the infectious diseases department of the Ministry of Health, said the government has six separate priorities for fighting the spread of the disease, and he encouraged donors—which included Japan and the World Bank—to send the pledged funds as soon as possible.
Japanese Ambassador Katsuhiro Shinohara said Cambodia played an important role in minimizing the threat of bird flu.
World Bank country director Ian Porter said the project will help the government assess and improve its national comprehensive plan.