Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06HELSINKI405
2006-05-12 07:04:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Helsinki
Cable title:  

ACTING DAS DISCUSSES POLIO ERADICATION, AVIAN

Tags:  PREL AORC TBIO WHO FI 
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VZCZCXRO2295
OO RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ
DE RUEHHE #0405 1320704
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 120704Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY HELSINKI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1854
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
INFO RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW IMMEDIATE 4641
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0366
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHDC
UNCLAS HELSINKI 000405 

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR IO/T
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL AORC TBIO WHO FI
SUBJECT: ACTING DAS DISCUSSES POLIO ERADICATION, AVIAN
INFLUENZA AND SMALL POX WITH SENIOR FINNISH OFFICIALS

REF: SECSTATE 71569

UNCLAS HELSINKI 000405

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR IO/T
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL AORC TBIO WHO FI
SUBJECT: ACTING DAS DISCUSSES POLIO ERADICATION, AVIAN
INFLUENZA AND SMALL POX WITH SENIOR FINNISH OFFICIALS

REF: SECSTATE 71569


1. (U) Summary. On May 9, Acting OES S DAS Jack Croddy and
Embassy reps met with senior public health officials at the
Finnish Foreign Ministry to discuss polio eradication and
avian influenza. He encouraged the Finns to continue
funding the Polio Eradication Initiative and to take an
active role on the issue during their upcoming EU
presidency. He also urged the Finns to work closely with
Russia to gain their commitment to share avian samples with
the WHO and in capacity building at FAO. Emboff also took
advantage of the opportunity to deliver the reftel demarche
on small pox. End Summary.


2. (U) On May 9, Acting S DAS Jack Croddy (who was in
Finland leading a delegation to review the bilateral S & T
Agreement) met with Anneli Vuorinen, Deputy Director General
for Global Issues at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. He
encouraged the Finns to continue funding the Polio
Eradication Initiative and to take an active role on the
issue during their presidency of the EU, beginning on July

1. He touched upon the problems associated with the
immunization campaigns and Nigeria and asked that Finland
and the EU consider making statements at the World Health
Assembly that commend certain countries, but encourage
others to do better.


3. (U) The Finns responded that there was some donor fatigue
amongst donor countries who had been repeatedly been given
overly optimistic forecasts for the eradication of polio.
Given the optimistic reports from the WHO, they noted that
they had not considered polio to be on the verge of wide
spread proliferation. Nonetheless, they acknowledged the
importance of seeing the project through to the end,
something they said could be a good success story for WHO.
With regard to funding, they pointed out that it is unlikely
that Finland will continue to fund specific projects in the
future. Instead, they intend to give lump sums to the WHO,
which the WHO can then manage and earmark as appropriate.
This would presumably free up human resources in Helsinki.


4. (SBU) Croddy also discussed avian flu and the IPAPI,
thanking Finland for its commitment and its support at the
April 11 meeting. He suggested that Finland might work
closely with Russia to gain their commitment to share
samples with the WHO. He also requested Finnish support for
capacity building within FAO. Vuorinen promised to take
this into consideration, particularly as they coordinate
their positions domestically and with other EU member states
in advance of the World Health Assembly.


5. (U) Following this discussion, Embassy Econoff raised the
talking points of the reftel action request on small pox,
soliciting Finnish support for the continuation of official
small pox stocks in the U.S. and Russia, as well as testing
with the live virus. Vuorinen responded that while the
issue was remotely familiar to her, they had not yet
discussed this within their WHA delegation. She promised to
do so, and to take our views into consideration.

HYATT