Unilab gives P25-M vitamins for anti-bird flu teams

United Laboratories Inc. (Unilab), the country’s biggest drug company, signed two agreements with the Department of Agriculture (DA) for the distribution of an initial P25 million worth of multivitamins to strengthen the immunity of frontline workers in the poultry industry against the dreaded bird flu virus.

Unilab president and chief executive officer Carlos Ejercito said the company’s subsidiary, Univet Agricultural Products Inc., is targeting the delivery of Enervon multivitamins to 20 potential bird flu hot spots.

The DA earlier identified these hot spots where migratory birds flock yearly, particularly from October to February, to escape the cold winter in their original habitats.

"We are taking part in the government’s four-stage avian influenza prevention program and our contribution would be to provide vitamins to frontline action teams against bird flu. These (vitamins) would not cure them of the sickness if (get) affected, but it will certainly improve their resistance," Ejercito said.

Recently, Unilab also donated P66 million worth of oseltamivir medicines through a memorandum of agreement with the Department of Health.

The company, according to Ejercito, is now acquiring more raw materials from India and Switzerland to beef up its stocks of the medicine intended for people infected with avian influenza.

Agriculture Secretary Domingo Panganiban said the Unilab donation is one of several collaborative efforts the government is doing with the private sector to prevent the potentially debilitating bird flu from entering the country.

"The Philippines is one of the few countries in Southeast Asia that has so far been unaffected by the dreaded bird flu virus and we intend to keep it that way," he said.

Davinio Catbagan, head of the National Avian Influenza Task Force and director of the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), said the task force continues to monitor the 20 bird flu hot spots.

These hot spots are Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Quezon town and Puerto Princesa City in Palawan; Spratly Islands; Candaba Swamp in Pampanga; Pagudpud in Ilocos Norte; Aparri in Cagayan; Olango Island in Cebu; Himamaylan town in Negros Occidental; Magat Dam in Isabela; Lake Mainit in Agusan del Sur; Agusan del Norte; General Santos City; Naujan town in Oriental Mindoro; Surigao del Norte; Surigao del Sur; Roxas City and Capiz on Panay Island; Bulan and Matnog towns in Sorsogon; and Liguasan Marsh in North Cotabato.

The task force has also put in place an intensive quarantine control in Balabac, Palawan and Bongao, Tawi-Tawi to prevent the entry of infected poultry or wild birds from Sabah, Malaysia and Indonesia.

The BAI is training provincial and municipal veterinarians and barangay officials how to respond to bird flu cases.