US embassy cable - 05GENEVA1666

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 GENEVA 001666 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FODAG 
 
DEPT FOR IO/T AND OES 
PASS TO HHS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TBIO, WHO 
SUBJECT:  WHO: 58TH WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY: U.S.-HOSTED 
SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL MEETING ON PANDEMIC INFLUENZA 
PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE 
 
 
1. HHS Assistant Secretary for Public Health Emergency 
Preparedness Stewart Simonson hosted a scientific and 
technical meeting on pandemic influenza preparedness and 
response at the 58th World Health Assembly on May 17, 2005. 
This meeting followed up on discussions started at the 
previous day's Ministerial meeting on avian influenza hosted 
by HHS Secretary Michael O. Leavitt (septel).  Mr. Simonson 
co-hosted the meeting with Dr. Klaus Stohr, Director of the 
World Health Organization (WHO) Global Influenza Programme 
and Dr. Supachai Kunaratanapruk, Deputy Permanent Secretary, 
Ministry of Public Health, Kingom of Thailand.  Countries 
represented at the meeting included  Australia, Cambodia, 
Canada, the People's Republic of China, East Timor, Italy, 
Japan, Republic of Korea, Laos People's Democratic Republic, 
Mexico, Singapore, Thailand, the United Kingdom and Great 
Britain and Socialist Republic of Viet Nam.  Also attending 
were representatives from the European Commission, the WHO 
Headquarters, the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific 
(WPRO), the WHO Regional Office for Southeast Asia (SEARO), 
the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the Food and 
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the 
World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), and International 
Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). 
 
2.  The purpose of the meeting was to discuss current gaps, 
challenges and opportunities in influenza surveillance and 
response activities.  The experts who made formal 
presentations included: Dr. Nguyen Tran Hien, the Director of 
the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology in the 
Ministry of Health of Viet Nam, who gave a presentation on 
national public health and agricultural perspectives about 
the avian influenza outbreak in Southeast Asia; Dr. Samuel 
Jutz of the FAO, who spoke on issues in international 
organization collaboration on avian influenza control; Mr. 
Dick Thompson, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility at 
the WHO Secretariat, who presented on risk communication 
before and during pandemic influenza events; and Dr. Bruce 
Gellin, the Director of the National Vaccine Program Office 
who spoke on international research collaboration.  The rest 
of the meeting was devoted to the views and considerations on 
these subjects by country representatives. 
 
3.  The general consensus of the discussion was that H5N1 
avian influenza represents a threat to global security and 
public health, and that a pandemic influenza would have 
significant negative public health, agricultural, economic 
and social implications for all countries.  Therefore, 
greater and timely collaboration and coordination are needed, 
both within countries and internationally, to control the 
H5N1 outbreak in Southeast Asia and reduce the risk of the 
emergence of a pandemic influenza. 
 
4.  The experts concluded the countries now affected by the 
H5N1 outbreak need greater support, including 
capacity-strengthening in animal and human epidemiological 
surveillance, laboratory diagnostics, outbreak-control 
measures, prevention of human infection and improved patient 
care.  Consideration of the apparent changes in H5N1 avian 
influenza outbreak dynamics, including changes in human 
disease in northern Viet Nam virulence (and thus longer 
patient survival times that lead to a greater risk of 
infection transmission between persons), and an increased 
frequency of detected clusters of human cases, again, 
especially in Viet Nam, should guide the process of making 
investments in these areas. The experts agreed that 
international laws should feature an integration of 
approaches and activities by Ministries of Health and 
Agriculture and that financial and technical support should 
come from developed countries, international organizations 
such as the WHO and FAO, regional organizations such as the 
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and interested 
private and public organizations. 
 
5.  Meeting participants believed the H5N1 virus is now 
endemic in Asia in waterfowl, especially ducks and geese, as 
well as some species of migratory birds, and its presence in 
wildlife reservoirs makes eradication efforts impractical. 
Therefore, the experts judge that human H5N1 
infection-control and prevention efforts, and efforts to 
protect the poultry industries in affected countries, should 
focus on interventions that protect domestic poultry from 
infection and protect people from H5N1 exposure, including 
implementation of stronger flock biosecurity measures, 
possibly also including the judicious use of bird 
vaccinations, and on distancing people from H5N1 risk through 
greater public awareness in personal protection practices, 
such as food safety measures.  The group agreed with the 
experts that research and development is needed on such human 
health interventions as the use of a safe and effective H5N1 
vaccine and antivirals. 
 
6.  Assistant Secretary Simonson expressed his appreciation 
for the insights and comments offered by meeting 
participants, and felt they were very helpful to our 
collective continuing deliberations on avian influenza and 
pandemic preparedness. Assistant Secretary Simonson has 
cleared this cable. 
Moley