JAKARTA, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Responding to calls from developing countries for the fairer distribution of bird flu vaccines, the World Health Organization will create a global stockpile of vaccines for poor countries.

    Director general of the World Health Organization (WHO) Margaret Chan, who recently visited Indonesia, has said the global vaccine reserve would be of great importance for developing countries in their fight against avian influenza, local newspaper The Jakarta Post reported Thursday.

    Chan met with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono Wednesday to discuss global vaccine production, which partly depends on virus sample supply from Indonesia.

    "We will look at how to develop global stockpiles of vaccines, particularly for developing countries," she said after the meeting.

    Chan said the WHO would gather resources from rich countries, donors as well as large drug-makers to make the plan work.

    Chan said the organization would work with all of its partners to support the efforts of developing countries.

    "We need to see if we can get more resources ... to support the developing countries to improve their capacities," she said.

    She emphasized that the global fight against bird flu required the full cooperation of developing countries, an obligation that will be enshrined in a new global regulation.

    "The sharing of information on the virus is a requirement for all countries under an international health regulation which will come into effect June 15," she said.