Earlier today the World Bank was complaining about Indonesia's cutback on money to fight H5N1 (see below). Now, via People's Daily Online, we learn: Indonesia to increase funds for fighting bird flu. Excerpt:
Indonesia, the most bird flu hard-hit country, vowed to increase budget for combating avian influenza in the country, where 46 out of 60 contracted people have died, vice President Jusuf Kalla said Wednesday.
Kalla was quoted by World Bank top official for Indonesia Andrew Steer as saying that the country would return the possibly-declined budget of 45 million U.S. dollars in 2007 to about 54 million U.S. dollars.
"Jusuf Kalla said, if it (the funds) is declining, he wants to reverse," he said after meeting with Kalla at the vice president's office.
Steer said that the decline of the budget would hamper efforts to attract donors' participation, as they would see the lower contribution of Indonesia alone.
He said he and Kalla agreed that Indonesia needs about 250 million U.S. dollars a year for combating avian influenza.
