The  ASEAN  Foundation  in cooperation with the  Vietnamese government through the ASEAN Viet Nam –Viet Nam Ministry of Foreign Affairs  (MOFA) and NetNam Corporation formally launched last  1 October 2009,  the   project  dubbed as the Communication and Information Systems for the  Control of Avian Influenza  (CISCAI), in a ceremony held at  the Government Guest House, in Hanoi City, Viet Nam.

 

The event was launched   by  Dr. Filemon A. Uriarte, Jr., Executive Director of the ASEAN Foundation  and   Director  Prof. Tran Bah Thai of NetNam Corporation.   The event was  also graced by   H.E. Pham Quang Vinh, Assistant Minister,  MOFA, and Mr. Nguyen Xuan Thuy, Deputy Director General, ASEAN Department,  (MOFA).  Other   agency partners  of the CISCAI who attended the formal ceremony  were  representatives from  the Viet Nam National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE), Viet Nam Department of Animal Health (DAH),  Information Centre of Natural Resources and Environment of Viet Nam (CIREN),  Viet Nam Telecom International  (VTI),  IPSTAR  (ThaiComm) Viet Nam Office, the National Electronics and Computer Technology Center (NECTEC) of Thailand, and  the local media.

 

During his speech, Dr. Uriarte  underscored the basic objectives of the CISCAI and  the imminent threat of  a global pandemic. “The threat of the Avian Influenza (AI)  on human populations is real.  The virus itself does not consider  any geographical boundaries and  only  regional and global efforts through a coordinated approach such as that of the CISCAI, and with the use of  sound science and technology such as  information  and communications technologies, can we achieve success in controlling and managing the threat.  As such Viet Nam’s participation in this monumental project is critical and very  crucial for the (CISCAI) Project’s success”,  said  Dr. Uriarte, who stressed on the vital role that Viet Nam  will be playing in the successful implementation  of the project.   He further  conveyed   his vision about the prospects  and future applications  of the outputs of  the project. “CISCAI aims to put in place enabling  technologies which would help us provide accurate and  timely information about the spread of  the (AI) disease, when we need them and where we need them.  I would envision that the same technologies developed under CISCAI can be equally applied to other emerging infectious diseases (EID), as well as, on a grander scale,  applied to disaster  management and response.  In this context, the (CISCAI) technology  can be  one of the strategies for Climate Change adaptation in  the ASEAN  region”, said Dr. Uriarte.

Technology demonstrations on the mobile geographic information system (GIS) and  the IPSTAR satellite mobile round receiving station (GRS) were conducted in the afternoon at the NetNam premises.

 

The CISCAI Project is expected to run for 3 years with a total  budget of around USD 1 million. The project is being funded under the  Japan-ASEAN Solidarity Fund (JASF).  (CISCAI-PCU)