Monitoring Donor Funding Post-Beijing

At the global level, the World Bank will continue to follow up with donors to monitor delivery of pledged assistance, to help make sure that countries with robust programs have access to adequate grant resources (which can help reduce their dependence on borrowing for avian flu control, including from IBRD and IDA). The World Bank reported on progress to an international meeting organized by the European Commission and the US and Austrian governments in Vienna in June 2006. The progress report showed that out of the $1.9 billion pledged in Beijing, $1.2 billion was already committed to specific programs, indicating a rapid initial response compared to other emergencies such as major natural disasters.

This momentum now needs to be sustained. Moreover, new approaches and additional financing are likely to be required in Africa, where governments and communities have particularly weak capacities and are unlikely to be able to take on the avian flu challenge without special assistance. More effective measures are urgently needed in Indonesia, where the animal disease continues to spread unabated. Compensation to farmers when poultry need to be culled is key to controlling the disease, but difficult to implement effectively in most developing countries. These issues are likely to dominate the agenda of the next high-level international meeting, convened by the African Union in Bamako, Mali, in December 2006.

Applying the Lessons of the Past

The lessons from SARS and other outbreaks are very much on the minds of many people. One lesson is the importance of bringing the different players together and getting them to work together at an early stage. For instance, in 2004, we brought together Vietnam health officials with doctors and researchers in Australia using the Global Learning Development Network’s (GDLN) videoconferencing capabilities. GDLN is also a platform for a series of inter-country exchanges on avian and human influenza policy issues, which was launched in July 2006, by linking animal and human health policy makers in Nigeria, Thailand, Turkey, and Vietnam to discuss integrated country programs. The second session is planned in close collaboration with the US Centers for Disease Control and will address risk communications; good communication is necessary for reducing the costs of avian flu and will be key to mitigating negative impacts of a human pandemic. SARS and the Bank’s experience in assisting countries affected by HIV/AIDS also reiterated the importance of responding quickly and in a coordinated manner. We need to make certain governments are taking the lead, and then we can help facilitate access to expert technical partners and other donors.

Another important lesson from past global experience is that it is preferable to respond as quickly as possible on the core animal health issue. If we fail to aggressively assert control over outbreaks of the disease in animals, it’s a foregone conclusion the spread to humans will be even more dramatic. No one likes to see on the news the large-scale culling of animals, however it is a necessary part of the long-term strategy so countries can limit the impacts on human health. It is important, especially at this early stage of the emergency, to keep the animal health issues front and center. Ultimately, however, the majority of funding will go to the human health responses.

Yet another key lesson from past outbreaks has been that our responses need to be forward looking and must be designed to control the spread of infectious disease in a holistic way. Our work to address outbreaks needs to help countries be prepared to respond to avian flu, SARS, or similar diseases in a long-lasting manner, which helps build their capacity. Regional approaches can be useful and cost-effective if they complement country-level actions. We want our assistance to countries to be relevant for other risks and other situations so crucial resources are not wasted.

Preventative measures, early international coordination, and collaborative response efforts will continue to be important priorities for the Bank in the months ahead.

No tags for this post.

Related posts

• No related posts.