$16m WB support to fight bird flu
The government yesterday signed an agreement worth 16 million dollars with the International Development Association (IDA) to support the country's efforts to minimise the threat and risk of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), says a press release.The signing ceremony was held at the Economic Relations Division at Agargaon. M Aminul Islam Bhuiyan, secretary, Economic Relations Division, and Xian Zhu, World Bank country director, signed the agreement. The Avian Influenza Preparedness and Response Project supports the government's National Avian Influenza and Pandemic Influenza Preparedness and Response Plan, and is designed to control infections in domestic poultry and prepare for controlling and responding to possible human infections, specially an influenza epidemic and related emergencies. It will also strengthen disease surveillance, diagnostic capacity and laboratory facilities. In addition, it will also support applied veterinary research, improve bio-security in poultry production and trade, and support surveillance of migratory birds. The Public Awareness and Information component will strengthen capacity of the national as well as district-based mass media to accurately report on avian influenza and provide appropriate information to various target groups. The project will also be co-financed initially by a $ 2 million grant from the Avian and Human Influenza (AHI) Facility, which is administered by the World Bank and supported by nine donors, including the European Commission. The credit from the IDA, the World Bank's concessionary arm, is interest-free and has 40 years to maturity with a 10-year grace period.
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