A UN agricultural expert has said that much more money is needed to stop the bird flu virus in poultry worldwide, as Vietnam – the country worst hit by the disease – confirmed its first human death in three months.

A deadly new global pandemic of human influenza is inevitable and suffering will be “incalculable” unless the world is ready, the chief of the UN health agency said today.

The international community needs to spend at least €76.3m to combat bird flu – five times more than the “glaringly insufficient” amount provided last year, UN officials said today.