Avian Influenza and the Pandemic Threat

Progress was reviewed at the International Senior Officials' Meeting on Avian and Pandemic Influenza in Vienna, June 2006.

An international conference in Bamako/Mali (6-8 December 2006) took stock of the funding situation and reviewed funding requirements for Africa. Pledges in Beijing did not cover the urgently needed financial assistance for avian influenza and pandemic preparedness outside Asia.

Too few resources are also available for UN system agencies and partners to support essential actions in poor countries, especially in Africa.

Beijing pledges

At an international pledging conference in Beijing/China in January 2006 the international community committed itself to financially support avian influenza and human pandemic preparedness efforts. 

Donor countries pledged around $1.9 billion in Beijing; they quickly committed $1.15 billion, of which $331 million had been disbursed by April 2006.

Much of the funding pledged in Beijing was not directed to any specific country, allowing some flexibility to allocate resources according to greatest need.

The largest donors were:

• Asian Development Bank
• Australia
• European Commission
• Japan
• United States
• World Bank (with a project pipeline for funding of up to $500 million)

Donors pledged support in cash, grants, loans or in-kind for:

• Integrated country programmes in developing countries
• Regional organizations
• International technical agencies.

Related links

• Progress report, June-December 2006 [pdf]