Bird Flu Center

Tony Abbott, the Australian Minister for Health, on Friday praised the way Vietnam has managed to control the bird flu situation. Speaking after a visit to the Viet Doc Hospital in Hanoi, Mr Abbott stated that the fact that no human cases of bird flu infections have been recorded in the Asian country since last November is encouraging and one that should pride Vietnam.

He stressed countries already under threat by the disease need to intensify cooperation with the World Health Organization, to ensure an effective surveillance of the virus and rapid identification and treatment of new cases. Mr Abbott also gave a warning that the threat has not been fully addressed yet, as bird flu is still active in countries like Indonesia and China. The Minister’s visit to Hanoi lasted two days and featured discussion on avian influenza prevention, control and cooperation between the two countries on the subject.