The campaign was launched following fresh outbreaks in Bac Lieu and Ca Mau provinces in the Mekong Delta after a one year hiatus.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat said it was necessary to speed up education campaigns to guide farmers and the general public on how to practice safe poultry farming, detect the disease on timely, and report to authorities to control the spread of the disease.

The drive with the UN, titled "Joint efforts for a Vietnam free from bird flu", demonstrated the concerted efforts and the determination of the Vietnamese government and international organizations to contain the epidemic, Phat, also head of the National Steering Committee for Bird Flu Prevention and Control, said.

The Vietnamese government and the UN plan to launch the campaign with TV and radio spots, communication kits, posters, leaflets and booklets, and a print media campaign.

The campaign comes as the trade and transport of poultry are expected to increase ahead of the Tet, the traditional New Year festival, in mid-February.

Rick Brown, an epidemiologist from the World Health Organization, said the organization appreciated the tough measures taken by the ministry to strengthen surveillance, get treatment facilities ready, and speedily disseminate information among the population to contain bird flu.

In 2005 Vietnam drew international attention as the country hardest hit by bird flu and with the largest number of infected people.

However, it was quickly brought under control.

No fresh outbreaks were detected since December last year and no human cases reported since November 2005. The disease killed some 40 people in the country between late 2003 and late 2005.

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung met Friday leaders of Ca Mau and Bac Lieu where the new outbreaks have been reported and representatives of ministries and agencies concerned.

He criticized the provinces for their failure to discover early and report the recurrence of bird flu and ordered them to complete the culling of poultry by Saturday.

The same day Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung requested all local administrations to take drastic measures to prevent bird flu among poultry and humans.

In an urgent dispatch, he asked authorities everywhere to strengthen surveillance of poultry farms to detect outbreaks early, promptly cull all affected poultry, and intensify disinfection and detoxification of farms.

Source: VNA – Compiled by Thu Thuy