INDONESIA - DECEMBER 8 AVIAN INFLUENZA (AI) UPDATE

UNCLAS JAKARTA 013452

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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO AMED CASC EAGR KFLU PGOV ID
SUBJECT: INDONESIA - DECEMBER 8 AVIAN INFLUENZA (AI) UPDATE

REF: A) Jakarta 13370 B) Jakarta 13194

1.(U) Summary. Indonesia's National Committee for AI Control
and Pandemic Alert (KOMNAS) announced a "Beat the Bird Flu!"
public awareness campaign on December 1. KOMNAS will launch
this public-private initiative on December 16. Lativi, a
local television station carried another episode of a State
Department-sponsored AI documentary on December 6. APHIS
announced the permanent assignment of Max Coats to head the
APHIS office at Embassy Jakarta. The Food and Agricultural
Organization (FAO) hosted a two-day workshop to exchange
information on various poultry AI control programs and
identify under-resourced elements of the Indonesia's
National Strategic Work Plan for possible future funding.
NAMRU-2 reports no new detected or confirmed human cases of
AI infection since November 12. End Summary.

AI Public Awareness Efforts Increase
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2. (U) KOMNAS announced a "Beat the Bird Flu!" multimedia
campaign to heighten public awareness of bird flu on
December 1. This month-long campaign is a joint initiative
among Indonesia's 24 Hour news channel Metro TV, the
Indonesian hotel and restaurant association, private
businesses, and KOMNAS. The campaign will kick off with a
charity concert on December 16, featuring top Indonesian
performers. KOMNAS will distribute posters, brochures and
other educational materials about avian influenza nationally
throughout the months of December and January as a part of
the private sector effort. Special television programming
will begin on January 1 on Metro TV, and will include
special series, programs and public service announcements
devoted entirely to the bird flu problem. "We welcome the
voluntary cooperation of the media and the private sector,"
said Bayu Krisnamurthi, Executive Secretary of KOMNAS. "The
seriousness of the health threat posed by avian influenza
means that everyone needs to get involved in this fight."
USAID is working with KOMNAS to shape the campaign messages
to encourage consistency with other communications efforts.


3. (U) On December 6, Lativi, one of Indonesia's fastest
growing television stations, carried another episode of the
State Department-sponsored TV co-op on avian influenza. The
piece discussed diagnostic methods in Delaware and quoted
American researchers.

APHIS Assigns Lead for Embassy Office
--------------


4. (U) USDA has announced the assignment of Dr. Max Coats as
Veterinary Officer/Avian Influenza Coordinator to Embassy
Jakarta. Dr. Coats will establish a five-person office,
including several Indonesian animal health professionals,
which will provide on the ground expertise regarding animal
health issues surrounding AI in Indonesia. Dr. Coats will
arrive in January 2007 for an initial tour of 13 months.

Food and Agricultural Organization Coordination Actions
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5. (U) FAO Indonesia hosted a consultation forum on December
4 to intensify coordination on technical aspects of
combating AI in animals. The forum included an exchange of
information on AI projects in the poultry sector,
information on project implementation and discussion of
missing or under-resourced elements of the GOI National
Strategic Work Plan. Over 20 representatives from the
international donor community (including USAID and FAS) and
GOI participated in the meeting.


6. (SBU) FAO's team of technical experts followed the forum
with a two-day internal workshop to assess progress to date,
strengthen support for the Ministry of Agriculture's AI
Campaign Management Unit, and to finalize the FAO work plan
for 2007. FAO plans to use the meeting to establish
realistic objectives towards full implementation of the
MOA's National Strategic Work Plan.

NAMRU-2 Human AI Case Profile
--------------


7. (SBU) NAMRU-2 reports no new human cases since November

12. NAMRU-2 data indicates the following AI-related case
profile as of December 8:

-- Number of laboratory confirmed (positive PCR and/or
serology) human AI cases: 74, of which 57 have been fatal
(case fatality rate of 77 percent).

-- Number of probable AI cases 3 (2 deaths, 67%).

-- Number of cases awaiting analysis at the U.S. CDC: 0.

-- Number of possible untested AI cases under investigation
(last 30 days): approximately 4.

Note: NAMRU-2 data corresponds with MOH data but may vary at
times with AI case figures presented on the official World
Health Organization (WHO) website, which usually lags NAMRU-
2 data by one week. The WHO website, last updated on
November 29, notes 74 human AI cases in Indonesia with 57
deaths. WHO figures can be accessed at
www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza.

PASCOE