Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif has approved Sunday 15/4/2007 allocation of LE 240 million to combat bird flu.

The sum will be shared between Ministries of Agriculture and Health.

Ayman al-Qaffas, the spokesman for the higher committee for combating bird flu said the money would help the Health Ministry to produce required vaccines.

Following a meeting of the committee under Minister of Health and Population Hatem el-Gabali, al Qaffas said that the agriculture ministry would make use of the money in developing labs, training some 1,200 vets and vaccinating poultry against bird flu.

He added that since February 2006, the total number of human bird flu cases in Egypt was 34.

Fourteen of the inflected died and 20 recovered, he noted.

The H5N1 virus has claimed the lives of 172 people worldwide.

The main problem hindering combating bird flu in Egypt was the families raising birds at homes in the rural areas, according to the committee spokesman.

He added that the committee was trying to increase awareness and held some 228 symposiums in 21 governorates.

Al-Qaffas said that Egypt had not received any foreign assistance to combat Bird Flu, noting that 44 million euros was allocated for the African continent but were not distributed yet.

He added that the information ministry and the State Information Service (SIS) launched an awareness campaign which helped decreasing infection among adults. Al-Qaffas noted that the premier has appointed an executive coordinator to fallow up the implementation of the higher committee decisions.