A World Health Organisation (WHO) technical mission has expressed its concern that low level implementation of the National Centre for Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) programme might ihx be acceptable' to the donors resulting in a decreased inflow of assistance.

After the devastating cy clone in the south eastern region of the coun try on April 29.1991. WHO proposed to establish a regional centre for EPR in Asia and the Pacific and Bangladesh government expressed its interest in hosting the centre. Subsequently, the matter was finalised at the 11th meeting of ministers of health, organised by WHO South East Asia region and held in Dhaka on November 1-3,1993-

To finance the EPR centre, which in future is likely to be designated as Regional Centre for Asia and the Pacific. WHO convinced tlx: Italian Embassy in Dliaka to reallocate the remaining fund of the now abandoned bilateral project on disaster preparedness and response to the ongoing EPR programme, said sources in the Dhaka office of WHO.

According to sources in the Health Directorate, the Italian side stop|K'd further flow of assistance after spending 2300 IS dollars out of the 1.3 million dollars committed due to poor management of the bilateral project by the Health Directorate.

Meanwhile, the Italian Embassy, which is closely monitoring the project, had drawn the attention the regional advisor on EPR for WHO South East Asia Region of unsatisfactory level of implementation of the project' at a recent meeting. dx- sources said.

If the Italians retreat, as hap-jx-ixxl widi the bilateral pilot protect (disaster preparedness and response ). other donors would not feel comfortable to support the EPR centre", a WHO official said.