INDONESIA - SEPTEMBER 1 AVIAN INFLUENZA (AI) UPDATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 JAKARTA 010923 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPT FOR EAP/MLS, EAP/IET, A/MED AND S/ES-O DEPT FOR G/AIAG/JLANGE AND RFENDRICK DEPT FOR OES/FO, OES/EID, OES/PCI, OES/STC AND OES/IHA DEPT PASS TO USDA/FAS/DLP/HWETZEL AND FAS/ICD/LAIDIG DEPT ALSO PASS TO USDA/FAS/FAA/DYOUNG AND USDA/APHIS DEPT ALSO PASS TO USAID/ANE/CLEMENTS AND GH/CARROLL DEPT ALSO PASS TO HHS/WSTEIGER/ABHAT/MSTLOUIS AND HHS/NIH PARIS FOR FAS/AG MINISTER COUNSELOR CANBERRA FOR APHIS/DHANNAPEL ROME FOR FAO NSC FOR JMELINE BANGKOK FOR RMO, CDC, USAID/RDM/A USPACOM ALSO PASS TO J07 E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: TBIO AMED CASC EAGR AMGT PGOV ID KFLU SUBJECT: INDONESIA - SEPTEMBER 1 AVIAN INFLUENZA (AI) UPDATE REF: A) Jakarta 10492 B) Jakarta 10140 and previous JAKARTA 00010923 001.2 OF 003 ¶1. (SBU) Summary. The Government of Indonesia (GOI) announced refocused priorities for controlling avian influenza (AI) at a successful international donor meeting on August 23-24. Donor representatives were pleased with the coordination of the meeting and refocused GOI priorities but concerned by proposed GOI budget cuts in 2007 for AI activities. The GOI will convene a policy and technical meeting on AI control in Animals on September 15 sponsored by USAID. On September 1, the GOI launched the National Committee for Avian Influenza Control and Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (National AI Committee) Secretariat and an AI public awareness campaign. A local newspaper reported on August 25 that Indonesia has suffered up to $170 million in damages to its poultry industry as a result of AI. On August 29, the World Health Organization released new case definitions for suspected, probable and confirmed human cases of H5N1 infection, and as a result, NAMRU-2 identified one additional subject as "confirmed". Using the new WHO case definitions, as of September 1, data from NAMRU-2 and the Ministry of Health show 63 human AI cases in Indonesia with 48 fatalities. End Summary. International Donor's Meeting -------------- ¶2. (U) On August 23-24, 2006, Indonesia's National AI Committee hosted a meeting to map donor and GOI resources committed to AI control and to identify gaps in funding. During his opening remarks, Dr. Bayu Krisnamurthi, Executive Secretary for the National AI Committee announced that the GOI is narrowing its priorities to three key components of its national strategy: risk communications, information and public awareness; epidemiological surveillance of animals and humans; and highly pathogenic avian influenza control in animals. Donors concurred with this refocus, recognizing that human cases will continue until the disease is controlled at the poultry source. ¶3. (U) The mapping exercise revealed that the GOI and donors have budgeted approximately $93 million for AI control in 2006, about 60% of which has come from the GOI budget and 40% from donor support. Approximately 60-70% of total funds have been directed to human health. Meeting attendees agreed that funding needs to shift to focus on the new strategic priorities through increased funding for AI control in animals, including vaccination, culling and compensation. The GOI estimated that comprehensive implementation of the refocused strategy would cost approximately $250 million per year. ¶4. (U) While the announcements, findings, and tone of the meeting were positive, the National AI Committee also announced that the draft 2007 budget reduces funds for AI control to $46.5 million from US $57.4 million in 2006. This includes reductions in the Ministry of Agriculture budget for animal health. Donors reacted negatively and suggested that the GOI remedy this funding cut. World Bank Country Representative Andrew Steer noted that donors would not be willing to support increased funding for Indonesia for new priorities if the GOI was decreasing its own AI budget. In the wake of the donors meeting, the local press reported on JAKARTA 00010923 002.2 OF 003 August 31 that Vice President Kalla had assured Steer that the AI budget will not be cut. Proposed Policy and Technical Meeting for AI Control in Animals -------------- -------------- ¶5. (U) The National AI Committee will host a policy and technical meeting on September 15 to bring together key representatives from the GOI, donors and international organizations to coordinate on AI Control in animals. Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Aburizal Bakrie will open the event, which USAID is sponsoring. The meeting's objectives include: A) developing a realistic and effective AI animal control program; B) obtaining key stakeholder agreement on the animal control program; and C) gaining consensus on a plan for rolling-out the animal control program at all levels of government. The agenda includes a presentation of the GOI's refocused program for AI control in animals; a presentation and discussion with U.N. AI Coordinator David Nabarro and other potential high-level participants; and formulation of an implementation plan. Launch of National AI Committee and AI Public Awareness Campaign -------------- -------------- ¶6. (U) The GOI officially launched the National AI Committee Secretariat at a September 1 reception. Established earlier in SIPDIS the year by presidential decree, the National AI Committee is a minister-level committee that coordinates Indonesian actions at controlling bird flu. A staff of 15 carries out day-to-day operations. At the reception, Dr. Bayu inaugurated an AI Public Awareness Campaign "Tanggap Flu Burung!" (Pay Attention to Bird Flu!) that is aimed at all Indonesians, including the millions of small-scale, backyard poultry owners across the country. The campaign uses television and radio public service announcements (PSAs) and an emergency PSA featuring Indonesian celebrities in local languages and dialects. A PSA aimed at children features action star Jackie Chan, and has already started airing on Indonesian TV stations. The campaign also uses billboards, magazine articles, comic books, informational leaflets and signage that are distributed throughout the country. Indonesia Loses Rp. 1.3 Trillion Due to Bird Flu -------------- --- ¶7. (U) A local newspaper reported on August 25th that Indonesia has suffered a loss of up to US$ 170 million, or Rp. 1.53 trillion, since the start of bird flu. According to Dian Triansyah Djani, the ASEAN Cooperation Director General of the Foreign Ministry, the loss is based on deaths and destroyed poultry only and is less than the losses calculated for Thailand and Vietnam. WHO New Definitions and Human AI Case Profile -------------- -------------- ¶8. (SBU) With the August 29 announcement by the WHO to revise WHO AI Case Definitions, NAMRU-2 has retrospectively made changes JAKARTA 00010923 003.2 OF 003 to the number of confirmed cases of H5N1 infection in humans in Indonesia to match new WHO definitions. The proposed WHO definitions will have the greatest impact on the number of cases listed as probable. These definitions can be found on the official World Health Organization (WHO) website which can be accessed at www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza. Researchers anticipate additional modifications to definitions. ¶9. (SBU) Currently both NAMRU-2 and the Indonesian Ministry of Health have the same number of confirmed cases. NAMRU-2 data indicates the following AI-related case profile as of September 1: -- Number of laboratory confirmed (positive PCR and/or serology) human AI cases: 63, of which 48 have been fatal (case fatality rate of 76 percent). -- Number of probable AI cases 1, with 1 death (fatality rate of 100 percent). -- Number of cases awaiting sequencing at the U.S. CDC: 0. -- Number of possible untested AI cases under investigation (last 30 days): approximately 30. Note: NAMRU-2 statistics differ from statistics on the official World Health Organization (WHO) website, which usually lags NAMRU- 2 data by one week. The WHO website, last updated on August 23, notes 60 human AI cases in Indonesia with 46 deaths. PASCOE