DUSHANBE
, July 14, Asia-Plus – The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has approved a US$5 million grant for Avian Influenza and Human Pandemic preparedness and response activities in
Tajikistan
.
According to information from the WB Dushanbe Office, The project will help the government to minimize the risks that Avian Influenza infection and other zoonoses may pose to humans and the poultry industry in
Tajikistan
.
Three-quarters of
Tajikistan
’s 6.8 million people live in rural areas where they are mainly engaged in agriculture; most of these rural residents own small numbers of livestock that provide immediate cash for pressing needs as well as animal protein. It is estimated that seventy percent of the approximately 2.3 million chickens in the country are raised by such rural households in their backyards.
Tajikistan
has, so far, not had any recorded outbreaks of the highly pathogenic avian flu strain H5N1. However, cases of Avian Influenza have been reported in
China
,
Kazakhstan
,
Russia
,
Turkey
,
Iraq
,
India
, and
Afghanistan
. There is a risk of an H5N1 outbreak among poultry in
Tajikistan
through waterfowl migration and/or growing cross-border trade. The Government has therefore recently approved a Comprehensive Action Plan for Avian Influenza with technical assistance from several donors, including WHO, UNICEF and FAO.
The project’s overall objective is to minimize the possible threat of Avian Flu infection, and to prepare for, control and respond to influenza pandemics and other infectious disease emergencies in humans. The project will focus on three main areas: 1) preparedness and planning, 2) prevention through public awareness and surveillance; and 3) response and containment in case of an outbreak.
