Italy Ups WHO Contribution for 2008; Polio Eradication

UNCLAS ROME 002436

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID SOCI TBIO IT
SUBJECT: Italy Ups WHO Contribution for 2008; Polio Eradication
Efforts Included

REF: A) Rome 2392 B) SECSTATE 145220


1. Summary: Italy will contribute 16 million Euros to the World
Health Organization in 2008, a significant increase over previous
years. The 2008 contribution will also include, for the first time
in six years, an earmark for polio eradication efforts. Health
Ministry officials have made clear Italy's concern over polio at
international fora and have lobbied MFA officials for increased
contributions. End Summary.


2. Mauro Massoni, head of the MFA's multilateral development
cooperation office, told Econoff in response to ref b that the MFA
received official confirmation of the 16 million Euro WHO donation
on November 20. Italy's 2008 contribution is a significant increase
over the 2007 donation of 9 million and the 4 million allocated in

2006.


3. Italy's "tesoretto" (extra government revenue resulting from
Italy's stronger than expected GDP growth in 2007) is funding the
expanded assistance budget for 2008. For the first time in six
years, Massoni said, a portion of the WHO money will be earmarked
for Qio eradication. Development officials, according to Massoni,
had thought that Italy's 2002 multi-year contribution to polio
eradication would be the last pledge they would ever need to make
for combating polio. However, they now realize that polio is still
a serious problem and therefore are resuming funding.


4. Italy's contributions to various other WHO projects, including
the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) and the Global Fund
to fight AIDS, Malaria and TB, will also be allocated from the 16
million contribution. Now that the total WHO contribution has been
determined, Massoni said, the MFA can begin negotiating with WHO
staff the exact amount of Italy's contributions to the various
funds.


5. ESTCouns also spoke to Health Ministry Diplomatic Advisor Gianni
Ghisi to encourage the GOI to resume funding polio eradication
efforts, per ref b. Ghisi said that the MFA decides on GOI
contributions to multilateral efforts such as the GPEI, but he
weighed in with Massoni to express the Health Ministry's support for
polio eradication efforts. Health Ministry Communication and
Prevention Department Head Dr. Donato Greco has been an active
participant in international conferences on polio, and has made
clear Italy's strong concern about continuing endemic transmission
of polio in a handful of countries, and the threat of its
importation to countries which are now polio-free.

SPOGLI