January 17, 2006	Tuesday	Zilhaj 16, 1426

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ISLAMABAD, Jan 16: The Ministry of Health as well as the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock (Minfal) are finalizing recommendations to check the threat of bird flu in collaboration with provincial governments.

“A committee has been formed and tasked to finalize recommendations within 10 days,” Health Minister Mohammad Nasir Khan said on Monday.

He was presiding over a meeting of the National Expert Committee on Avian and pandemic influenza preparedness.

Mr Khan said extraneous surveillance and monitoring system had already been devised to ensure immediate detection of any virus in birds.

Alongside adopting preventive measures at this moment, he said, we must know what steps had been taken by the World Health Organization (WHO) in Turkey for containing bird flu.

The response in Turkey for containing bird flu has already been followed by the government, he said, adding that: “We want to protect people especially poultry handlers and health workers who are exposed to such infection and therefore are risk groups.”

The minister also directed to translate health education messages regarding warning about bird flu into local languages for common people. The meeting was also briefed on avian influenza surveillance status among poultry and migratory birds outbreaks.

Health Secretary Syed Anwar Mehmood, Director-General Health, drugs controller, senior officials of the health ministry and members of the Pakistan Poultry Association attended the meeting.

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