The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Friday approved the creation of a regional fund to combat the deadly avian influenza amid fears the outbreak could escalate into a global pandemic, according to DPA. ASEAN agriculture ministers, meeting in the Philippine resort city of Tagaytay, just south of Manila, also endorsed a global plan to combat bird flu and prevent a possible pandemic, which experts warned could kill as many as 150 million people. They said all member countries "have pledged contributions" to the ASEAN Animal Health Trust Fund (AAHTF), which would be used to prevent the spread of bird flu and other illnesses affecting animals such as foot-and-mouth disease. "An agreement is being developed to ensure that there is a robust framework for accountability, drawdown proposals and proper use and management of the fund for long-term sustainability," the ministers said in a joint statement at the close of the meeting. The fund has already raised an initial amount of 2 million dollars, but the ministers are confident that ASEAN would be able to get more especially for the fight against the deadly H5N1 virus, which has killed at least 62 people in Asia since 2003. Most of the deaths were in Vietnam and Thailand, both ASEAN members. A third ASEAN member, Indonesia, is now battling a surge in cases. Other ASEAN members are Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar (Burma). During the meeting, the ministers also directed an ASEAN anti-bird flu task force to "urgently formulate detailed action plans for implementation and proceed to identify potential sources of funding" for a regional framework against avian influenza. "The framework covers eight strategic areas over a period of three years from 2006 to 2008 to prevent, control and eradicate the disease," the joint statement said.
