WORLD BANK TO ACCREDIT JORDAN BIRD FLU RESEARCH UNITS

The World Bank is to accredit Jordan's research laboratories as research centres for so-called avian influenza. Meanwhile, the country's health ministry is to train staff to identify the disease should an outbreak occur, and has pledged to notify the public as soon as any cases arise.

Investor interest in Jordan's drug sector has grown since the country's US free trade agreement was signed in 2000. The country boasts a skilled scientific workforce -- around 1,700 Jordanians graduate in life sciences each year -- and the toughest intellectual property (IP) regime in the region.