The conference, slated for January 12-13, will draw health officials and experts from 22 countries across the world, including the United States and European countries, and the World Bank.

The conference is expected to deliberate ways to distribute the anti- bird flu drug Tamiflu, and measures to speed up the establishment of an early warning system for pandemics. It will also discuss measures to improve the quality of diagnosis of epidemic diseases.

In another development, health experts said on Tuesday that an outbreak of deadly bird flu in Turkey could be brought under control as local officials sealed off parts of major cities Ankara and Istanbul and culled thousands of birds.

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said none of the latest human victims were in a life-threatening condition and urged Turks not to panic.

Turkey has reported that at least a dozen people are infected with the virus, mostly children. Cases have been confirmed as far west as the central region around the capital Ankara, sparking fears the disease could spread to people in mainland Europe.

This is the first time the virus has been detected in a rash of infection cases among people outside east Asia since it reemerged in late 2003. It is now known to have killed at least 78 people, including two deaths in China newly documented by the WHO.

VNA/Reuters