Meeting in Vietnam last week, members of the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) signed an action plan that aims to encourage more rapid reporting of bird flu cases, sharing of surveillance networks and know-how, and the creation of incentives for farmers and industry hit by the epidemic.
"The action plan will enhance the region's capacity to deal with avian influenza outbreaks by increasing cross-border cooperation and sharing information between governments' departments," said Vietnam's minister for agriculture and rural development and co-chair of the meeting, Cao Duc Phat.
Covering five specific areas, the action plan lays down directives and requirements that the group says will now be implemented at a domestic level by the member states.
This includes following international standards on trade and travel in a bid to clamp down on poultry smuggling, thought to be rife and a significant pathway for spread of the virus.
As well as sharing biological specimens in labs across borders, the ministers also agreed to call for reform of poultry production systems with low biosecurity, such as live markets.
And they want to 'avoid unnecessary restrictions on trade in agricultural goods and services' by encouraging members to co-ordinate on business resumption protocols.
Since late 2003, the H5N1 bird flu virus has affected birds in nine of the APEC economies and humans in four of the member states.
According to the FAO, the culling of millions of poultry has cost Thailand US$1.2 billion, Vietnam US$200 million and Indonesia US$170 million. Although Vietnam and Thailand appear to have the virus under control, officials say the risks are not over, given that the disease is now endemic in birds across the region.
Most poultry produced in Asia is still raised in families' backyards, where it is difficult to monitor disease outbreaks.
Shigeru Omi, Western Pacific regional director for the World Health Organisation, told reporters that better surveillance as well as compensation for farmers and public awareness of the risks will be necessary to halt the spread of bird flu.
"These are the three factors which are really the difference between groups of countries - one group is making a lot of improvement and others are not," Omi told Reuters.
There is still 'room for improvement' in China and Indonesia at district and village level, he said, even though there is a political commitment from central government.
