US presents personal protective equipment to Vietnamese vets
The provision aims to help animal
health workers respond quickly to potential new outbreaks of avian
influenza, infectious disease and other emerging pandemic threats.
The equipment provides critical protection for those working on the
frontlines of avian influenza and pandemic outbreaks, said USAID Mission
Director Joakim Parker.
The supplies, including 1,000 masks,
1,000 goggles and 4,000 gloves, are being sent to regional centres and
provinces throughout the country most at risk of bird flu or in greatest
need of the supplies.
This assistance package, valued at 50,000
USD, comes at the request of Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and
Rural Development, with technical support from the UN Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Since 2005, USAID has provided
over 50 million USD in support of Vietnam's programmes to combat avian
influenza, including more than 64,000 complete sets of personal
protective equipment.-VNA