Using Space Technology to Fight Against Avian Influenza

UNESCAP Holds Experts’ Meeting in Bangkok from 1 to 3 August

Bangkok (United Nations Information Services) Space technology can help countries in Asia-Pacific fight against avian influenza – a major threat to the region. The United Nations is taking steps to promote the application of the technology in an integrated early warning system for avian influenza.

The Information, Communication and Space Technology Division of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) is hosting a meeting on space technology and avian influenza from 1 to 3 August in Bangkok.

The meeting is jointly organized with the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), the China National Space Administration (CNSA) and the Geo-informatics and Space Technology Development Agency of Thailand (GISTDA). About 60 experts from nearly 20 countries are participating.

There are several potential ways for space-based technologies, such as geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing (RS) and the Global Positioning System (GPS), to be used in the fight against avian influenza. For example, they could help to monitor and determine the migratory routes of wild birds which are believed to have played a role in spreading the disease.

To make an avian influenza monitoring and early warning system effective, it will be necessary to establish a mechanism for systematically collecting and sharing information. Participants will discuss ways for countries to cooperate in using space technology to track avian influenza and other infectious diseases, such as malaria and schistosomiasis.