US embassy cable - 04WELLINGTON862

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Identifier:	04WELLINGTON862
Wikileaks:	View 04WELLINGTON862 at Wikileaks.org
Origin:	Embassy Wellington
Created:	2004-10-14 00:05:00
Classification:	UNCLASSIFIED
Tags:	KSCA TBIO NZ OECD
Redacted:	This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.

UNCLAS WELLINGTON 000862 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR OES/IHA, EAP/ANP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KSCA, TBIO, NZ, OECD 
SUBJECT: NEW ZEALAND RESPONSE ON POLIO ERADICATION REQUEST 
 
REF: STATE 208754 
 
1. Post delivered reftel demarche to the America's Division 
of the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade; Dr. 
Douglas Lush, Acting Director of the Communicable Diseases 
Unit in the Ministry of Health; and to Vicki Poole, Global 
Group Program Manager at the NZ Agency for International 
Development (NZAID.) 
 
2. On behalf of these agencies, Poole responded in writing to 
Post that New Zealand could not provide additional funding 
for this initiative, as NZAID's budget is committed for this 
financial year.  Poole reminded post of New Zealand's past 
donations of NZ$1.6 million (US1.1 million) in 2003 to the 
Initiative through the WHO, UNICEF and New Zealand Rotary 
International, and NZ$200,000 (US140,000) in 2004, also to 
New Zealand Rotary International.  She added that the Polio 
Initiative will be considered seriously in future funding 
rounds, as immunization is a key component of NZAID's 
development strategy.  However, she also noted that NZAID's 
priority focus remains the Pacific, and the entire Africa 
program budget is less than NZ$1 million (US700,000) per 
year.  Poole's response has been faxed to EAP/ANP. 
Burnett