USAID's Global and Regional Avian Influenza Activities

	Overview USAID Key Actions to Date
	USAID's Global and Regional Avian Influenza Activities       - Global Overview [PDF, 85KB]       - Budget Summary [PDF, 53KB]       - Asia and the Near East [PDF, 236KB]            - Indonesia [PDF, 78KB]       - Europe and Eurasia [PDF, 130KB]       - Africa [PDF, 157KB]            - Ghana [PDF, 148KB]
	Behavior Change Communications Avian Influenza Situation Updates
		Materials used in USAID's avian influenza communications activities (prepared by the Academy for Educational Development). Clockwise from top left: Cambodia's "Super Chicken," Vietnam poster, educational poster, Ghana poster image.

Updated September 2008

Since it first appeared in 1997, the highly pathogenic H5N1 influenza virus has persisted as a significant threat with the potential to trigger the next global influenza pandemic. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), in close collaboration with the Departments of State, Defense, Health and Human Services, Agriculture, and Homeland Security, is a critical partner in efforts to prevent this lethal virus from spreading in animals and to reduce the possibility of it also becoming a human contagion. Animal outbreaks have been reported in 65 countries, and 15 countries have confirmed a total of 387 human cases since 2003. Of those cases, 63 percent have been fatal.

For updates, see the World Organization for Animal Health and the World Health Organization Web sites.

The majority of animal and human cases have occurred in Southeast Asia, and USAID, with its partners, has concentrated a significant amount of resources in the region. Early progress was reported in 2006 in a number of the most affected countries in the region. Additional work, however, is still needed in countries that have not introduced an aggressive package of control measures. A special effort is required in Africa, where poor health infrastructure increases the potential for significant mortality in the event of a pandemic.

To date, USAID has committed a total of $191,650,000 [PDF, 53KB] for avian influenza activities. Building on its humanitarian assistance capabilities, USAID is also bringing special attention to the need to prepare for a humanitarian response should a pandemic occur. Detailed reviews of the three regions (Asia and the Near East [PDF, 236KB], Europe and Eurasia [PDF, 130KB], and Africa [PDF, 157KB]) that have received substantial funding for avian influenza are available.