BURMA:DEVELOPMENT AND EXERCISING OF AVIAN AND

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 RANGOON 000220 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/MLS, G/AIAG; PACOM FOR FPA; USDA FOR FAS/PECAD, FAS/CNMP, FAS/AAD, APHIS; BANGKOK FOR USAID:JMACARTHUR),APHIS:NCARDENAS, REO:JWALLER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAGR EAID AMED PGOV PREL CASC TBIO KFLU BM SUBJECT: BURMA:DEVELOPMENT AND EXERCISING OF AVIAN AND PANDEMIC FLU RESPONSE PLANS REF: STATE 022992 RANGOON 00000220 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. Summary: Burma's Ministry of Health finalized the National Strategic Plan for Prevention and Control of Avian Influenza and Human Influenza Pandemic Preparedness Plan on January 31, ¶2006. On October 16, Mekong Based Development Strategy and RAND Corporation facilitators led a tabletop exercise based on the GOB Plan, with human and animal health officials. The Rangoon WHO office drafted an operational plan, which is currently under revision. No new strategies were developed from these exercises. This report responds to request in reftel. End Summary. ¶2. During 2005, the GOB Ministry of Health updated its 2004 pandemic preparedness plan to include action on Avian Influenza. The revised version, "National Strategic Plan for Prevention and Control of Avian Influenza and Human Influenza Pandemic Preparedness and Response," was published on January 31, 2006. The Plan outlines government structures and planned actions by animal and human health authorities to respond to AI or a pandemic. Tabletop Exercise -------------- ¶3. On October 16, 2006, facilitators from the Mekong Based Development Strategy, the RAND Corporation, the GOB Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department (LBVD),and Ministry of Health conducted a tabletop exercise in Rangoon. Thirty-nine participants took part, including State/Division level special disease control unit officials; township and district level medical officers from the border areas; medical superintendents from the two hospitals designated as AI response facilities; airport and seaport authorities from Rangoon and Mandalay; district medical officers from the outbreak areas, and members of the Health Education Bureau. Topics included surveillance and information sharing; risk communications, disease prevention and control measures; and crisis management. The group also discussed scenarios from pandemic phases 3, 4, 5, and 6. Facilitators submitted their report on the exercise to higher authorities. A WHO contact told us that officials made no changes to the Plan after the exercise. WHO Training -------------- ¶4. WHO completed training for Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) in lower Burma on November 21-24, and for RRTs in central and upper Burma on December 12-15, 2006. This training included exercises that utilized the GOB Response Plan and WHO's Operational Plan. WHO sponsored a workshop to update its Operational Plan on February 16, and expects to complete its revision in March 2007. Ongoing Efforts -------------- ¶5. WHO contacts report that the AI-response facilities, Waibagi Hospital in Rangoon, and Kandunadi Hospital in Mandalay, have conducted simulation exercises on specimen collection, using PPEs and test kits "several times." Contacts also note that national health system providers, the National Lab, and the Rangoon Children's Hospital conduct ongoing surveillance for flu-like symptoms in humans. FAO plans to conduct simulation exercises for animal health officials in Taunggyi, Shan State in April, and in Mandalay and Sagaing Division later in the year. ¶6. GOB animal and health officials were occupied with an AI RANGOON 00000220 002.2 OF 002 outbreak during the week of this reporting deadline, and were unavailable for further comment. VILLAROSA