COLOMBIAN IMPLEMENTATION OF INTERNATIONAL HEALTH

UNCLAS BOGOTA 001467 SIPDIS SIPDIS FOR OES/IHB, KOWALSKI; IO/T, BLACKWOOD E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON AORC PREL TBIO WHO CO SUBJECT: COLOMBIAN IMPLEMENTATION OF INTERNATIONAL HEALTH REGULATIONS REF: STATE 33263 ¶1. In response to reftel Econoff contacted Victor Hugo Alvarez, Coordinator of Public Health for the Colombian Ministry of Social Protection (Ministry). Alvarez said the Colombian government is implementing the International Health Regulations (IHR). Alvarez also requested a copy of the U.S. IHR implementation plan which Econoff provided to him. ¶2. According to Alvarez, the Colombian government has taken a number of steps to implement the IHR. In 2006 the Ministry created a National Liaison Center as the National IHR Focal Point. Since 2006 the Ministry has held seminars on IHR with health institutions, universities and local government bodies, particularly those close to international points of entry. The Ministry also developed a diagnostic tool to assess the ability of their existing national structures and resources to meet core IHR capacities and particularly to analyze the capacity of international points of entry to implement the IHR. ¶3. In 2008 the Ministry took two important actions to implement IHR. First, in January 2008 the Ministry issued a memo to all appropriate agencies and entities on implementation of the IHR. Second, on April 13, 2008 Minister of Social Protection Diego Palacio and World Health Organization country representative Dr. Pier Paolo Balladelli signed a Declaration regarding the IHR in which Colombia committed to put in place all actions necessary to implement the IHR. ¶4. Alvarez said the Ministry also developed a national policy on food safety and strengthened public health laboratories. In addition, Alvarez noted that the GOC has participated in technical and scientific cooperation agreements related to the IHR with the neighboring countries of Venezuela, Brazil, Peru and Ecuador. BROWNFIELD