POLIO ERADICATION EFFORTS: NO ADDITIONAL AUSTRIAN

UNCLAS VIENNA 003347 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR OES/IHA (MILLER) AND EUR/AGS. E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID ECON PREL TBIO AU SUBJECT: POLIO ERADICATION EFFORTS: NO ADDITIONAL AUSTRIAN FUNDS FOR THE MOMENT REF: STATE 183200 ¶1. EconPolOff delivered reftel demarche regarding the Global Polio Eradication Initiative on November 14 to Jean Paul Klein, the Ministry of Health's (MoH) Senior Advisor on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. ¶2. Klein acknowledged the importance of polio eradication, but said the GoA was unable to contribute additional funds at present. There is still no new government after national elections in October, and there is therefore no budget. The GoA is operating under the equivalent of a "continuing resolution," with no additional funds available. Nevertheless, Klein promised to push for more funds for GPEI, as well as HIV/AIDS, in the 2007 and 2008 budgets. In regard to end-of-the-year funds, Klein said the MoH would allocate these funds to vaccinate children against rotavirus and pneumococci. ¶3. Klein opined that Nigeria is the country having the most serious problem with polio. He suggested the international community should first concentrate polio eradication efforts in South Asia, followed by Nigeria. MCCAW