World Bank and Government of Turkey Sign Loan Agreement for Avian Influenza and Human Pandemic Preparedness and Response

World Bank                  
Europe and Central Asia Region

Release No: 2006/10/ECATR 

Contacts:

In Ankara: Tunya Celasin, (90-312) 459 83 43
Tcelasin@worldbank.org
In Washington: Merrell Tuck-Primdahl: 1-202- 473 95 16
Mtuckprimdahl@worldbank.org

Ankara, May 17, 2006 – The World Bank, and the Republic of Turkey signed today the Loan Agreement for Euro 27.5 Million (approximately US$35.0 million equivalent) for the Avian Influenza and Human Pandemic Preparedness and Response Project (AIHP) for Turkey. The US$55 million AIHP is also being supported by approximately US$12 million in grants from the EU and US$1 million in grants from the United States. Country Director Andrew Vorkink signed the Loan Agreement on behalf of the Bank together with Undersecretary Ibrahim Canakci of the Treasury of Turkey.

The overall objective of the Project is to minimize the threat in Turkey posed to humans by highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) infection and other transmittable diseases in birds and domestic poultry and to prepare for the control and response to an influenza pandemic and other infectious disease emergencies in humans. To achieve this, three areas will be supported: (i) prevention, (ii) preparedness and planning and, (iii) response and containment. Achieving these goals will contribute to diminishing the burden of disease and loss of productivity in Turkey, limiting the regional spread of HPAI, and enhancing economic and social prospects at the national, regional and global levels.

The project will finance activities under three components:

(a) Animal health: This component targets the prevention, control and eradication of HPAI in birds and poultry. Activities include improving laboratory information, better tracking of migratory birds, equipping and establishing bio-safety laboratories, improving veterinary services, training of farm workers in handling of sick poultry, improving bird culling and restructuring of the poultry industry to reduce backyard poultry raising.

(b) Human health: This component will improve the ability of Turkey to respond to health emergencies in the event of HPAI or pandemics. Activities include year-round surveillance, state-of-the art diagnosis, anti-viral drugs, systems and better coordination between the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA).

(c) Public awareness and coordination support: This component supports information and communication activities to increase the attention and commitment of government, the private sector and civil society organizations and to raise awareness, knowledge and understanding among the general population including schools, about the risk and potential impact of the pandemic. It will also support the National Zoonotic Disease Committee in its role of triggering emergency responses by the MOH and MARA, monitoring the actions taken by them, coordinating public statements to the media, and executing project evaluation activities.

On the occasion of the Loan signing of the Project, Andrew Vorkink, Country Director for Turkey stated: “It is extremely important for us to launch this vital project today. As we all know, the continuing outbreaks of HPAI influenza which began in late 2003 in several Southeast Asian Countries and the ones that have occurred more recently in Central Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa have affected lives and been disastrous to the poultry industry and have raised serious global public health concerns.”

He continued: “With interventions proposed in this project and in collaboration with other national and international partners, it should be possible to minimize a pandemic’s consequences in Turkey through advance preparation to meet the challenge of avian influenza.  The World Bank is pleased to help Turkey in this project, which will also give assurances to visitors and tourists to Turkey and residents that Turkey has a comprehensive plan to help stop the spread of future bird flu outbreaks if they occur in the future”.

The lending instrument for the Avian Influenza and Human Pandemic Preparedness and Response Project is the World Bank’s Emergency Recovery Loan (ERL) with a 15-year maturity, a 5-year grace period, and a variable spread.

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For more information about the World Bank’s work in Turkey, visit: http://www.worldbank.org.tr.

For more information about this project, visit: http://www.worldbank.org/projects

For more information on the World Bank's work on avian flu, please see the website at http://www.worldbank.org/avianflu