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| Wednesday, 18 February 2004 |
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South Asia demands ban of poultry imports NEW DELHI, Tuesday (AFP) Health officials from seven South Asian nations claimed the entire region to be free of bird flu and demanded a blanket ban on the import of poultry products, as the UN warned the disease was far from over. "Poultry and poultry products of this region are safe for human consumption," the officials from the seven-nation South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation said in a statement after a meeting in the Indian capital. They recommended a "temporary ban" on poultry products, including vaccines, into the region of 1.4 billion people. Many SAARC countries have already imposed restrictions on the import of poultry products, but the SAARC officials called for strengthened vigilance on their borders to prevent infiltration of the virus. The SAARC officials also decided to keep an eye on their bird sanctuaries for "large-scale mortality among migratory birds," said Prashad Rao, India's most senior bureaucrat in its health ministry. Rao and added that inter-regional poultry export would depend on national policies of the SAARC member states. The health officials also recommended a total but temporary ban on the import of pet birds into South Asia. |
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