A budget deficit is still hampering the global initiative to contain avian influenza from reaching a pandemic level, an official said.
"So far, international donors have committed to disburse US$2.7 billion for 2006 to 2008, yet the deficit still amounts to $1.2 billion," said chief executive of the National Commission for Avian Influenza and Pandemic Preparedness Bayu Krisnamurti in Jakarta on Wednesday.
Bayu added that the actual deficit could be larger than the estimation as the total fund distributed from the $2.7 billion allocation had only reached 73 percent as of early this month.
According to records from the commission, there has been a decrease in the number of countries and organizations contributing funds for the global effort.
The World Bank has estimated the global pandemic resulting from the mutation of bird flu could cost $3 trillion and could kill 71 million people worldwide, as a worst-case scenario.
When asked about the government's commitment to provide funds, Bay said the government was committed to contributing 50 percent of the total funds needed to tackle the issue domestically.
"We have 50 percent from the donor fund and 50 percent from the state budget," he said.
Earlier on Saturday, the United States through Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs Paula Dobriansky, pledged an additional $320 million to the global fight against avian influenza.
The new commitment from the United States would decrease the global deficit to $875 million. (ast)
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