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