AUSTRIA: NO END-OF-THE-YEAR FUNDS FOR POLIO

UNCLAS VIENNA 003938 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: TBIO KSCA AU SUBJECT: AUSTRIA: NO END-OF-THE-YEAR FUNDS FOR POLIO ERADICATION INITIATIVE REFS: A) STATE 225847 B) VIENNA 14 ¶1. Embassy conveyed ref A demarche December 21 to senior officials in the Ministry of Health and the MFA, urging the GoA to contribute additional funds for the polio eradication initiative (PEI). Jean-Paul Klein, the MoH's expert on infectious epidemiology, told us that, unfortunately, the GoA does not have any end-of-the-year money for the PEI. He noted Austria had contributed $200,000 in extraordinary funds in 2004, and "might consider" additional spending for the PEI in the 2007 budget. McCaw#