CANBERRA, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Australia's national science agency will help countries in the Pacific and Southeast Asia better prepare for disease outbreaks, the government has announced Friday.
Under the new program, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) will use its expertise in human and animal health and its world-class facilities to help countries including Vietnam, Fiji, Indonesia and Laos improve their ability to identify, track and respond to health emergencies.
The program, which is worth a combined 24.2 million Australian dollars (16.1 million U.S. dollars), will ensure that frontline teams have the right skills to protect communities, according to a government statement.
As part of the program, the CSIRO's Australian Center for Disease Preparedness will receive 12 million Australian dollars (8.0 million dollars) from the government to strengthen animal health laboratories in Southeast Asia, improve testing for infectious diseases at high-risk locations and boost field diagnostic networks in the Pacific.
The program also includes support for a new manufacturing partnership to strengthen capabilities in Southeast Asia to manufacture vaccines, drug products and biopharmaceuticals. ■
