Europen Union (EU) said it's ready to assist Cambodia in the fight against bird flu that has started in Southeast Asia and now is spreading to other parts of the world.
Speaking at the end of his trip to Cambodia, EU Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou said that bird flu is a global problem that needs a global response. Cambodia is a part of the commissioner's official trip to Asia that includes Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam.
Mr. Kyprianou said EU will pledge 30 million euros ( USD 35 million dollars) to its joint aid program that will be announced at the international conference in China in January.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), as of November 1, there have been 122 bird flu victims, 62 ( about 50 percent) of whom have died. In Cambodia, there are 4 dead. In Vietnam there has been 91 cases where 41 people haved died. In Thailand there have been 21 cases and 13 dead. In Indonesia there has been 7 cases, and 4 dead.
Mr. Ly Sovann, deputy director of health Ministry's infectious disease department said that Cambodia needs at least 6 million dollars to fight bird flu.