(www.arminfo.info) вЂ" 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, reports Trend.
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.
Since joining the World Bank in 1992 and IDA in 1993, commitments to Armenia have totaled approximately US $952.25 million for 44 operations.