US embassy cable - 05TAIPEI3809

UNCLAS TAIPEI 003809 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/RSP/TC, G, OES/IHA 
STATE PLEASE PASS TO AIT/W 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TBIO, AMED, SENV, CASC, ECON, TW, ESTH 
SUBJECT: AVIAN INFLUENZA:  TAIWAN HEEDS AIT AND COMPLAINS 
ABOUT WHO ACCESS 
 
REF: A. STATE 15149 
     B. TAIPEI 03598 
     C. TAIPEI 03742 
     D. TAIPEI 03713 
 
1. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) held a briefing for 
foreign offices in Taiwan on H5N1 high pathogenic avian 
influenza (HPAI) on September 12.  The briefing was given by 
Deputy Minister of Agriculture Dr. Lee Jen-chyuan, Director 
of the Center for Disease Control Steve Kuo, and Director 
General of the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection 
and Quarantine Dr. Watson Sung.  Opening remarks were given 
by MOFA Minister Dr. Chen Tan-sun and Minister of Health Dr. 
Hou Sheng-mou.  The briefing discussed the general HPAI 
threat (in terms of "when" rather than "if") and provided an 
overview of what Taiwan is doing to prepare.  (Taiwan HPAI 
preparations are described in detail in ref D).  After the 
briefing, MOFA Minister Chen pulled AIT aside to say that the 
briefing was called at AIT Director Paal's suggestion (as 
reported in ref b, the Director made this suggestion when 
delivering Undersecretary Dobriansky's HPAI demarche). 
 
Netting Over Farms 
------------------ 
 
2. Presumably also as a result of one of the specific 
suggestions made by the AIT Director when he delivered 
Department's demarche as instructed in ref b, Taiwan's 
Council of Agriculture recently committed 1 billion NTD (USD 
31.2 million) to help pay for nets to cover Taiwan's chicken 
and hog farms in an effort to prevent interaction between 
wild migratory birds and domestic livestock. 
 
WHO 
--- 
 
3. MOFA Minister Chen also used the opportunity of the 
September 12 HPAI briefing to call for foreign support of 
Taiwan's efforts to work more closely with the World Health 
Organization (WHO).  Chen reported that Taiwan had recently 
approached WHO's West Pacific Regional Office (WPRO) in 
Manila to request copies of the flu plans WPRO has received 
from other economies in the region.  Chen claims that WPRO 
replied that it is not possible for the WPRO to engage in 
communications with Taiwan.  Chen noted that diseases have no 
borders and requested international support for Taiwan's 
efforts to join the international body. (Note.  AIT followed 
up with Taiwan officials and learned that the WPRO turned 
down Taiwan's request to obtain and review other flu plans in 
late August.  End Note). 
KEEGAN