AVIAN INFLUENZA INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP

UNCLAS KUWAIT 001675 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR AIAG, NEA/ARP, NEA/RA; CAIRO FOR LINDA LOGAN; AMMAN FOR MANU BHALLA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AMED CASC KFLU TBIO KU SUBJECT: AVIAN INFLUENZA INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP RECONVENES ¶1. Embassy held a meeting of its Interagency Avian Influenza Working Group (AIWG) on Tuesday, November 27, which included representatives from each section of the Embassy and U.S. military health officials from local bases. Embassy participants included CDA Misenheimer, the Regional Security Office, Medical Unit, Community Liaison Office, and the Management, Political, Economic, Consular and Public Affairs sections. Medical officers from Army Central Command Surgeon's Office, Office of Military Cooperation - Kuwait, Defense Attache Office, Central Command Medical Office, Air Force Central Command, Army Emergency Medical Facility, and Air Force Expeditionary Medical Group attended the meeting. This was the first Interagency AIWG meeting following the summer rotation season. This meeting served as an opportunity for new Embassy and military participants to meet, discuss their roles, recap Kuwait's AI status, and review preparedness. Discussion focused mainly on updating lines of contact among in-country USG elements and on Embassy and DOD Avian Influenza action plans and the need to ensure that the various action plans are coordinated. ¶2. The interagency AIWG will serve mainly as an information-sharing group in which different military health sections and Embassy sections will share relevant AI information gathered from their relevant contacts. For the next meeting, each military office and the Embassy Med Unit will present the key elements of its action plans, focusing on those portions that deal with interagency cooperation. The Group decided to meet again in mid-January to discuss action plans and review existing tripwires. Embassy internal AIWG will meet in January prior to the next interagency meeting, and will also renew contact with relevant host government authorities of AI preparedness. ********************************************* * For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/?cable s Visit Kuwait's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/ ********************************************* * MISENHEIMER