DEVELOPMENT OF AVIAN AND PANDEMIC INFLUENZA

UNCLAS LA PAZ 000582 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR G/AIG JKOWALSKI AND PCLERKIN; S/ES-O/CMS LGISVOLD; AND WHA/AND LPETRONI COMMERCE FOR JANGLIN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: TBIO KFLU KSTH BL SUBJECT: DEVELOPMENT OF AVIAN AND PANDEMIC INFLUENZA RESPONSE PLANS REF: STATE 22991 ¶1. (U) Bolivia completed its national avian and pandemic influenza response plan in December 2006, after months of work and with financial and technical support from USAID, the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO),and the United Nations Children's Fund. The plan includes comprehensive health and agriculture components and enjoys broad public and private sector support. ¶2. (U) Avian influenza program coordinator Dr. Pablo Aguilar told Econoff March 1 that he and several GOB officials participated in table top exercises at a November 2006 PAHO-sponsored workshop in Lima. Dr. Aguilar and his health ministry epidemiology unit counterpart, Dr. Rene Lenis, expect to conduct similar exercises in Bolivia's nine departments later this year; work will likely start in the relatively high-risk departments of Cochabamba, Santa Cruz, Tarija, and Chuquisaca in April or May, following approval of Bolivia's national response plan via supreme decree. ¶3. (U) By year-end, Dr. Aguilar expects departments and municipalities to show substantial progress in developing area-specific avian and pandemic influenza response plans. He also expects GOB officials to complete a nation-wide classification of municipalities according to bird population and number of birds per capita. ¶4. (U) Limited information is available on the Ministry of Health and Sports website at http://www.sns.gov.bo/influenza/menu0.htm. GOLDBERG