The Japanese Government will grant around US$8 million to help Vietnam build a Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3) laboratory, said the Director of the Central Institute for Hygienics and Epidemiology, Dr. Nguyen Tran Hien, on August 10.

The aid is part of a programme funded by Japan to improve the institute's capacity to controll new infectious diseases in Vietnam, Mr Hien said.

Vietnam will contribute about US$312,000 to building the lab.

According to Director Hien, the Vietnamese side has completed the framework for a three-storey building with the BSL-3 lab on the second floor.

The Japanese Government will also help Vietnam to build a mobile lab to cope with a possible outbreak of bird flu and flu type A (H5N1) in humans.