DVC Request with Dr Rita Colwell, Chair, Canon US

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 WELLINGTON 000103 SIPDIS STATE FOR IIP/G/EA - SPRIETO AND RFHOLDEN; EAP/PD - AEGRIMES; EAP/ANP - DRICCI E.O.12958:N/A TAGS: OIIP SCUL SUBJECT: DVC Request with Dr Rita Colwell, Chair, Canon US Life Sciences, Inc. ¶1. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: Post requests a DVC with Dr. Rita Colwell, Chair, Canon US Life Sciences, Inc., to discuss aspects of Avian Influenza. ¶2. Preferred Activity Date, Fiscal Year, and Quarter: This is an FY06 program, which is requested for week starting March 6; second quarter; 6.00pm EST time -- noon NZ time of the following day). JUSTIFICATION OF PROGRAM: While New Zealand has been planning for an outbreak of avian influenza for some time, and its health officials are among the best-prepared for such a pandemic, they would also like the opportunity to converse with U.S. officials on current issues related to this influenza to discuss latest findings on plans for a possible pandemic. The Current Status in NZ: - The Ministry of Health is working with the health sector and other Government agencies to ensure New Zealand is as prepared as possible for a potential pandemic. It has a national pandemic plan, and District Health Boards have local plans. - The New Zealand Government, following the advice of the World Health Organization, is stockpiling anti-viral medicine to help reduce the impact of a pandemic on New Zealanders. By the end of 2005 there will be enough anti-viral medicine for about 21 percent of the NZ population. - New Zealand officials say that if the bird flu virus that has broken out across Asia eventually begins spreading among humans, it could kill about 3,700 residents. World health officials have said the virus has the potential to kill 100 million people worldwide. Health officials here believe that these predictions reinforce the need to take the illness seriously and continue preparations to deal with a major outbreak of flu. The research, published in the latest New Zealand Medical Journal, says a flu pandemic could also see more than a million New Zealanders needing to visit a doctor, placing added strain on the health system. These figures are sobering but no surprise because concern about a pandemic of bird flu or a similar type of flu is mounting worldwide. The World Health Organization said last month that up to 100 million people could die within weeks if a bird flu pandemic broke out. - The ministry is stockpiling more than 800,000 doses of an antiviral drug that could be used to treat 20 per cent of the population in the event of a major bird flu outbreak. They believe that (as in the U.S.) our hospitals will find it difficult to cope because they lack experience on that scale. New Zealand health authorities (like those in many other countries) are worried that an avian influenza virus and a human influenza virus might mix, or the avian flu virus could change in another way, resulting in a new strain of influenza virus that could be easily passed from person to person, and that the new influenza virus could spread rapidly around the world, infecting many people and resulting in an influenza pandemic. This could cause many deaths and could occur at any time. A discussion with Dr. Colwell on recent research would be most beneficial to our audience. ¶4. Audience Expected: To include New Zealand government health officials, academics, opinion-makers, policy-makers, economists, think-tankers, members of the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs (NZIIA),and the news media. ¶5. MPP THEME AND EXPECTED AUDIENCE: MPP GOAL 07-04/05 - Economic Growth and Development/Environmental Protection. ¶6. NAME(s) OF SPECIALIST REQUIRED: Suggestions (with contact details) in priority order are: a) Dr. Rita Colwell, Chair, Canon US Life Sciences, Inc. and Distinguished University Professor, both at the University of Maryland at College Park and at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. Her interests are focused on global infectious diseases, water, and health; and she is currently developing an international network to address emerging infectious diseases and water issues. Dr. Rita R. Colwell US Life Sciences, Inc. Canon U.S. Life Sciences, Inc. 2110 Washington Blvd., Suite 300 Arlington, VA 22204-5799 Phone: 703-807-3400 Email: info@canon.uslifesciences.com b) Michael Osterholm, PhD, MPH Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy University of Minnesota Academic Health Center 420 Delaware St SE MMC 263 Minneapolis, MN 55455 [Dr. Osterholm also on CIDRAP Advisory Board] Ph: 612-626-6770 Fax: 612-626-6783 Email: cidrap@umn.edu c) Julie Gerberding, Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1600 Clifton Road Atlanta, GA 30333 Ph: 404-639-3311 Email: jyg@cdc.gov d) Theresia Lavergne LSU Agricultural Center 101 Efferson Hall Baton Rouge, LA 70803 Mailing address: P.O. Box 25203 Baton Rouge, LA 70894-5203 Ph: 225-578-2219 Email: tlavergne@agcenter.lsu.edu ¶6. POST PROJECT OFFICER: Control officer: Christine Vivian Office phone: 644-462-6112; Fax: 644-499-0490 Email: cvivian@actrix.gen.nz / vivianc@state.gov TECHNICAL OFFICER: Ola Thorsen Office phone: 644-462-6015, Fax: 644-499-0490 Cell: 6427-451-2535 Email: thorsenO@state.gov LOCATION AND TELEPHONE NUMBERS: ISDN numbers: 644-939-7519 Coord. Line for Conference: 644-462-6014 U.S. Embassy, Wellington has a polycom viewstation. 384K Please advise soonest. Many Thanks. MCCORMICK