The plan called "Green Book" outlines medium- and long-term strategies for fighting the deadly H5N1 strain of the virus among people and animals to help prevent a global pandemic. It includes poultry and livestock production reforms, public awareness campaigns and tighter border controls to prevent illegal poultry trade.

Reuters quoted Markus Cornaro, the European Union (EU) Ambassador to Hanoi, as saying that “it is the most advanced integrated plan that you will find in the region on avian influenza”.

According to Reuters, the draft five-year plan will be presented at the 21-nation Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) avian flu meeting of ministers of agriculture and health in Vietnam’s central city of Da Nang from May 4-6.

Hans Troedsson, the World Health Organisation representative in Vietnam, said the plan was "technically sound" but could not be copied or used as a blueprint by every country.

After nearly two years of using mainly the culling method to control the virus, the Vietnamese Government last year adopted a combination of mass poultry vaccination, disinfecting, culling, information campaigns and bans on live poultry in cities, Reuters reported.