but experts believe it could mutate into a form which spreads easily among humans, possibly setting off a global pandemic.

"The objective is to prevent the avian influenza from developing into the next stage. Culling, compensation, vaccination and bio-security are clearly vital to reducing the threat," said Mr. Bayu Krisnamurthi, the Chief Executive of the National Committee for Avian Influenza Control and Influenza Pandemic Preparedness (Komnas FBPI). Komnas FBPI hosted the morning talks, which included the participation of UN agencies, the World Bank, donor countries and non-government agencies involved in battling bird flu.

Today's meeting took stock of action taken since consultations with international experts in June, and a meeting with donors agencies in August, when the Government of Indonesia and international partners agreed on a refocused national bird-flu strategy.  Animal control measures are now a top priority, along with risk communications, information and public awareness, and disease surveillance in animals and humans.

"We have the right strategy," Mr. Bayu Krisnamurthi said. "Since the June meeting of International experts, we here in Indonesia have been re-doubling our efforts to confront this virus."

Dr. Nabarro, the top UN official for bird flu, is in Jakarta to find out what more the international community should do to support the Indonesian government's refocused national bird-flu strategy. Dr Nabarro noted that the Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture has made great progress in recent months, setting up new systems for early detection of disease outbreaks and coordinated response measures, including programs like participatory disease surveillance (PDS) and participatory disease response (PDR). These programs are being expanded to more than 150 districts in Java, Sumatra and Bali with the support of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and donor agencies including USAID, AusAID and the Government of Japan.

"The strategy must succeed," Dr. Nabarro said. "Implementation must be backed with sufficient funding for implementing control programmes, for compensating those whose birds are killed, and for improving poultry farming techniques.  The funds will need to come from both national and international sources."

To date, international donors have committed US$47 million to the fight against in bird flu in Indonesia.

At the morning meeting the United States aid agency, USAID, announced
US$3.2 million worth of new support for intensified action on animal control activities in Indonesia. The new support includes US$1 million in grant money to support animal health facilities across the country, as well as US$2.2 million support in the form of 200,000 sets of personal protective equipment (PPEs), including protective suits, masks, gloves and goggles, and 2,000 disinfectant kits. This new funds announced this morning are in addition to US$14.65 million already committed by USAID.

The World Bank also discussed a proposed US$15 million grant which is intended to support all aspects of controlling the virus at the source in poultry, including culling compensation.

Dr. Nabarro meets this afternoon with the Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Aburizal Bakrie, for further talks on how to bring bird flu under control and prevent a pandemic