AVIAN INFLUENZA: TAIWAN HEEDS AIT AND COMPLAINS

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