ICDF Adds $500,000 to Boost ADB's SARS and Disease Initiative

MANILA, PHILIPPINES (12 July 2004) - The International Cooperation and Development Fund (ICDF) based in Taipei,China has contributed US$500,000 to ADB's Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) initiative to help boost national level capacity for planning and implementing effective responses to disease outbreaks.

The contribution brings to $5.5 million the total funds committed under the Technical Assistance (TA) Emergency Regional Support to Address the Outbreak of SARS. A grant of $2 million was approved in May 2003, followed by $3 million in September from ADB's Japan Special Fund, financed by the Government of Japan, to expand the TA's scope.

The SARS outbreak in early 2003, besides causing scores of deaths and tens of billions of dollars in economic losses for the region, revealed weaknesses in public health systems in Asia. These include the capacity to detect and respond to emerging infectious diseases, inadequate methods for monitoring and evaluating surveillance programs, and lack of quality data and analytical tools for decision making.

The TA is currently providing assistance in areas of public health surveillance, assistance to health services for SARS prevention and control, public education, and improved monitoring of the economic and health fallout.

"The supplementary assistance from ICDF will expand the resources for organized training and other learning opportunities available to developing countries at risk from SARS and other infectious diseases," says Philip Erquiaga, Principal Director, Office of Cofinancing Operations.

"It will provide resources for medical and public health officials who can use the funds for such purposes as conferences or short-term training programs that focus on disease surveillance, infectious disease control, SARS-specific knowledge-building, or emerging disease management," added Erquiaga.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and ADB-funded Regional Outbreak Response Team based at WHO's Western Pacific Regional Office in Manila will assist ADB in agencies in the countries to identify and target activities to be conducted under the supplementary funds.

The additional resources will further strengthen national resilience in responding to disease outbreaks such as SARS and expand the opportunities for capacity development.

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