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The Avian and Human Influenza Facility (AHI), a multi-donor financing mechanism administered by the World Bank, announced today that the Republic of Armenia was awarded a grant in the amount of US$2 million for the Avian Influenza Preparedness (AIP) Project. The objective of the Grant program is to support integrated interventions in the animal and human health aspects.

The AHI facility was created with generous commitments by eight donor agencies, including the European Commission as lead initiator and donor, to help the poorest developing countries prepare and implement integrated country action plans designed to reduce the social and economic impact of avian influenza and minimize possible outbreak of a human flu pandemic.

This Grant is in addition to a US$6.25 million IDA credit and a US$0.8 million Japanese Grant approved by the World Bank under the Global Program for Avian and Human Influenza Control and Preparedness (GPAI) for Armenia. The GPAI provides emergency financing to participating countries, in order to contain outbreaks of avian flu through early detection and rapid response measures and to help countries prepare for a possible human influenza pandemic.

“Today’s approval provides the opportunity to Armenia to more completely prepare for the potential of an avian influenza outbreak as well as be better prepared for other contagious diseases,” said Frauke Jungbluth, who leads the Bank’s task team responsible for supervising the AIP project. “Given the recent outbreaks of avian flu in Turkey, Hungary, UK and Russia and seasonal risks, it is critical to maintain the momentum and to continue avian influenza preparedness activities in earnest.

In particular, the Bank is committed to help the Government of Armenia to make sure that the veterinary and human health services are upgraded, and that public financial resources are used effectively to respond in the best possible way to the avian and human flu situation, and help avert a possible human pandemic with the devastating social and economic impacts this would imply.

The Facility is part of a comprehensive package of the World Bank assistance to address the priorities already identified in the Armenia’s National Plan for Preparedness for HPAI. Other support for Government’s efforts is being provided by bilateral donors, multilateral agencies, a number of UN organizations, including FAO and WHO, and a grant from the Policy and Human Resources Development (PHRD) Program funded by the Government of Japan.

Since joining the World Bank in 1992 and IDA in 1993, commitments to Armenia have totaled approximately US $952.25 million for 44 operations.