UN official praises Vietnam for containing bird flu
HANOI - The top UN bird flu official has praised Vietnam for managing to contain the virus after recording more human fatalities than any other country and having to slaughter millions of birds.
In a statement released as he began a visit to the Southeast Asian nation at the frontline of the bird flu crisis, the World Health Organisation's David Nabarro said Hanoi's experience had valuable lessons for other countries.
"Vietnam was one of the first countries affected by avian influenza and has done an impressive job of containing the virus recently," he said.
"I think Vietnam can provide some valuable lessons to the rest of the world, not only in its fight against a potential epidemic, but also in its donor and government cooperation."
The communist nation culled tens of million birds in 2004 and 2005.
From initially covering up cases and later making widely denounced claims that the virus had already been beaten, the government finally mobilised resources to tackle the crisis late last year.
Vietnam has reported the highest number of human cases in the world, with 93 people infected -- 42 of whom died. The last human death in the country was reported in November.
No new cases had been identified between December and earlier this week, when health authorities discovered the H5 virus in poultry illegally imported from China.
Nabarro is expected to meet with Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and other senior government officials during his visit -- part of a tour that also included China, Thailand, Laos and Indonesia.
Agence France Presse - April 7, 2006.
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