The Vietnam Red Cross Society (VNRC) is playing a vital role in the fight against bird flu (H5N1) by raising awareness of the disease in local communities, said Chairman of the VNRC, Nguyen Van Thuong.

Thuong made the comments on April 18 at a seminar in Hanoi aimed at reviewing measures to prevent and control possible outbreaks of the deadly disease in the country.

Since 2006, the 6-month project has disseminated over 200,000 posters and leaflets to more than 108,000 households in project areas, not to mention training over 2,000 volunteers in 58 courses on bird flu prevention, according to VNRC statistics.

"The project has made a positive impact on the lives of people in the community here. They are now better prepared to deal with any future outbreaks of the disease," the chairman said.

Ultimately, the project plans to see half of the population in 418 communes, 10 provinces nationwide, provided with enough knowledge and basic skills to prevent an H5N1 pandemic from taking hold in the country.

Funding for the project was provided by the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. (VNA)