Japan plans to provide several hundred million yen to four Japanese drugmakers for the clinical testing of new influenza vaccines, starting from next year, World Health Organization officials said Friday.

Japanese government officials presented the plan at a WHO meeting on promoting world cooperation in developing new vaccines, they said.

The biggest barrier to making new vaccines is a lack of funds, said one of the officials, while praising the Japanese plan. The United States is currently the only country providing financial help to its drugmakers, he said.

The official also urged the world to accelerate efforts to develop new influenza vaccines as there are increasing fears of a pandemic in the next few years in Asia where the deadly bird flu has emerged in recent years.

About 50 representatives from 11 drug companies, governments and vaccine licensing agencies, mostly from developed economies, ended their two-day WHO meeting in Geneva on Friday.

The WHO renewed its call for government funding for vaccine development, the officials said.

Participants agreed to set up three working groups where they will further discuss respective regulations on vaccine development and problems in cooperating on the research and development of vaccines, they added.