World Bank, EU agree on new 70 mln dlrs bird flu fund

WASHINGTON, June 7 (Reuters) The World Bank and European Commission have established a new 70 million dollars trust fund to help countries prepare for a possible outbreak of bird flu.

In a joint statement, they said the Avian and Human Influenza Facility (AHI) will provide grant handouts for countries in Central Asia, South and East Asia, Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean.

''The objective is to reduce the social and economic impact of avian influenza and to minimise the possibility of a human flu pandemic in developing countries with insufficient resources and capacity to combat the disease,'' the statement said.

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