AVIAN INFLUENZA UPDATE FOR COLOMBIA

UNCLAS BOGOTA 008650 SIPDIS SIPDIS PASS TO AVIAN INFLUENZA ACTION GROUP AT STATE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: TBIO KFLU EAGR EAID ETRD SENV PREL CO SUBJECT: AVIAN INFLUENZA UPDATE FOR COLOMBIA REF: 05 BOGOTA 10967 ¶1. Summary: At the invitation of the DCM, Post's Avian Influenza (AI) Committee met on September 7 with GOC agencies responsible for monitoring and first response to a potential AI outbreak. While the GOC's AI policy planning and monitoring regime appears on track, operational contingencies are lacking. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is active in Colombia, using a standard plan in Colombia. Embassy preparations and plans for AMCITS will be discussed septel. End Summary. ¶2. According to GOC officials, the Ministry of Social Protection is Colombia's lead agency on AI issues, managing a budget of approximately USD 5 million for AI preparations. The Ministry is dedicating five full time professionals to the development of the GOC AI response plan, which it hopes to complete by the end of October. According to the Ministry, the GOC has only 27,000 doses of tamiflu for government officials, health workers, and other first responders. The Ministry has been less successful in developing a communication plan to provide information, quell concerns and rumors, and explain the action plan in event of an. Colombian law and regulation provides for the quarantine of humans and animals infected by AI, but no contingency plan to carry out such a quarantine has yet been developed. ¶3. The Colombian Agriculture Ministry (ICA - Instituto Colombiano de Agricultura) is responsible for monitoring and testing birds for AI. APHIS has provided funding to assist ICA in its preparations, including USD 100,000 for diagnostic equipment for GOC's bird laboratory, 50 Fludetect kits, training for lab technicians in Bogota, and table top exercises. ICA has begun to implement an extensive AI sampling and monitoring program in commercial flocks, processing over 50,000 samples since 2005. ICA is also sampling backyard flocks around wetlands that are in migratory bird pathways. ¶4. According to GOC officials, the Colombian National Police (CNP) has the responsibility to assist ICA seek out infected birds, and to maintain public order in case of an AI outbreak. The CNP does not have an AI contingency plan, lacks biohazard protection gear to protect first responders, and has no current training plan for officers to deal with infected flocks. CNP officials told Emboffs that their participation at Post's AI Committee meeting represented the first opportunity to meet with other GOC agencies concerning AI, and they plan to continue working with their counterparts to prepare for a potential outbreak. We anticipate that the CNP will approach the USG to fund acquisition of biohazard gear, other equipment and training. ¶5. The PAHO representative for Colombia informed us that PAHO is monitoring for possible outbreaks and that the PAHO plan calls for following an established protocol to provide unspecified technical assistance in case of an outbreak. ¶6. Comment: The AI gathering initiated by Post not only served the purpose of strengthening the GOC/USG AI planning relationship, but also provided an opportunity for various GOC agencies to meet and discuss this issue together for the first time. Some of the comments indicate a degree of naivete about what would be possible in the event of an outbreak and how fast emergency measures could be put into place. Embassy will continue active outreach with GOC interlocutors to strengthen planning in preparation for a potential AI outbreak. End Comment. DRUCKER