The East Asia Summit Declaration on Avian Influenza Prevention, Control and Disease has been signed by the Indian prime minister, Dr Manmohan Singh and other heads of State / Government at the completion of the Summit at Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday. The Summit emphasised the need for fostering global partnerships in fighting against avian influenza.

The heads of State/Government of the Member Countries of the Association Of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) comprising Australia, People's Republic of China, Republic of India, Japan, the Republic of Korea and New Zealand, participating countries of the First East Asia Summit (EAS) acknowledged that the avian influenza outbreak has spread to a number of countries in the region and that its serious impact is not just confined to the poultry industry but also public health, livestock production, trade, tourism, economic and social development of the region.

The countries are aware of the potential of the current avian influenza H5N1 virus to transform into a strain capable of causing a pandemic, and the unpredictable nature of when and where a pandemic will occur.

The region has recognized the need for an active cooperation and various regional initiatives of ASEAN in responding to the challenges posed by avian influenza, inter-alia, through strengthening institutional linkages, developing a partnership with all stakeholders, sharing information and coordinating regional initiatives.

The ASEAN countries have welcomed the various other initiatives to foster regional and global partnerships on avian influenza prevention and control, and pandemic preparedness and response. It was also recognized that the prevention and control of avian influenza is a global responsibility that requires close collaboration and coordinated efforts among governments, communities and businesses with the active participation of appropriate regional and international organizations and mechanisms.

The countries declared that the participating countries will undertake every effort through existing bilateral, regional and multilateral channels to enhance national, regional and international capacities to deal with the current avian influenza epidemic, inter-alia, to prevent it from transforming into a human influenza pandemic through-improving national policies for prevention and control of emerging infectious diseases (ElD); controlling and eradicating avian influenza in domestic poultry to reduce the risk of human influenza pandemic, as the disease is primarily an animal disease.

The ASEAN region will commit towards effective containment of all avian influenza outbreaks at the national level, and to extend all possible support and ensure rapid, transparent and accurate risk communications among participating countries of the EAS; undertaking a well-coordinated multi-sectoral/multi-disciplinary approach at the national and regional level, particularly between the animal health and the human health sectors, in support of regional and global efforts towards pandemic preparedness and response planning.

The countries will establish national and regional avian influenza and pandemic preparedness strategies with clearly defined work plans and resource requirement, supported by the strong political will and commitment of all participating countries as well as requisite national legislation and technical expertise to minimise the impact of any possible pandemic influenza outbreak.

Institutional capacities at national and regional levels will be strengthened to ensure effective and efficient implementation of the national and regional avian influenza prevention and control programmes and pandemic preparedness and response plans, including setting up a network of stockpiles of antiviral drugs with the technical support the World Health Organization (WHO) and other recognised relevant international organisations, to effectively pre-empt a pandemic.

Capacity building will be enhanced in coping with a pandemic influenza, including establishing information sharing protocols among countries and multilateral organisations to ensure effective, timely and meaningful communication before or during a pandemic influenza outbreak.

There will be an increase in cooperation among ASEAN Member countries and the other participating countries of the First EAS, and international organisations, including the WHO, the World Animal Health Organisation (OIE), the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), the World Bank (WB), and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in the areas of surveillance and capacity building, research and development, risk communications and assessment, supply and access to, as well as, the production of vaccine and antiviral drugs.