Japan’s Assistance for Measures against Avian and Pandemic Influenza

December 6, 2007

On December 6 (Thu), the final day of the New Delhi International Ministerial Conference on Avian and Pandemic Influenza, held from December 4 (Tue) to 6 (Thu), Japan newly pledged an additional 69 US million dollars as assistance for measures against avian and pandemic influenza, including those to be finalized by the Government. Among the additional pledges announced at the Conference, the scale of Japan’s pledge is the third after those of the United States (195 million dollars) and the European Commission (116 million dollars). According to the World Bank, a total of about 400 million dollars were pledged as additional assistance at the Conference.
The Conference was participated in by delegations from 111 countries including those at the ministerial-level from 40 countries, such as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of India, the host country. From international organizations, Dr. Margaret Chan, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Jacques Diouf, Director General of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and other representatives of related international organizations also attended the Conference. The delegation of Japan, headed by Mr. Ryoichi Horie, Japanese Charge d’Affaires ad interim to India, consisted of related officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. Mr. Osamu Hayakawa, Director of Specialized Agencies Division, International Cooperation Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, chaired Section IV, which discussed preparedness against pandemics which could spread across borders.
At the Conference, Japan called on all donor countries for steady disbursement of their pledges and emphasized the importance of timely sharing with the WHO of virus samples by countries affected by avian influenza. The ASEAN countries took this opportunity to express gratitude for the stockpile of antiviral drugs supported by Japan.

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