The United States will support Vietnam ’s efforts to combat avian and pandemic influenza under a three-year project.

The US Embassy in Vietnam on Sept. 23 issued a press release stating that funding during the first year will be 3.6 million USD.

The project will focus on the five provinces of Ha Nam and Hung Yen in the north, Quang Tri in the central region and Can Tho and Kien Giang in the south of Vietnam as the basis for testing and applying risk reduction practices in local settings.

Other provinces will be included as appropriate and feasible.

Working particularly at the local level with health, agriculture, and rural development officials, activities will include public communication campaigns and training for animal and human health workers to help them and their communities monitor, prevent and control avian and pandemic influenza.

The project will also encourage other villages to take special measures to reduce the risk and spread of disease, especially in provinces at high risk of avian influenza.
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has selected Abt Associates to carry out the project in close cooperation with the Vietnamese government.

By building on the experiences and lessons learned from programmes carried out over the last three years, this nationwide project will identify and propagate the best practices and enhanced surveillance techniques to control and prevent avian and other forms of influenza.

USAID activities in Vietnam include joint-cross border pandemic exercises with China and Laos , support to developing and improving provincial pandemic preparedness plans, training of animal health workers and veterinarians, public communication campaigns, and journalist training in H1N1 prevention and control measures.
Pending continued availability of funding, the USAID plans to continue the activity for two additional years, bringing the total contribution to 10 million USD.

Since 2005, the U.S. Government has allocated approximately 50 million USD to support Vietnam 's programmes to combat avian and pandemic influenza./.