HONG KONG PANDEMIC PLANNING: CDC VISIT AND OUTREACH

UNCLAS HONG KONG 000616 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/CM, CA/OCS/ACS/EAP, AIAG, OES/IHA, MED HHS FOR OGHA - STEIGER, HICKEY CDC ATLANTA FOR CCID AND COGH E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: TBIO KFLU EAGR CASC AMED AMGT PINR MO HK SUBJECT: HONG KONG PANDEMIC PLANNING: CDC VISIT AND OUTREACH ¶1. (U) Summary. Lisa Koonin, Infectious Disease Expert with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) visited Hong Kong on March 28 to aid post and local U.S. businesses in their pandemic planning efforts. Post convened a meeting of the Consulate's internal Avian Influenza Working Group (AIWG) to hear about recent global policy developments and community mitigation planning recommendations, particularly focused on Consulate personnel and American Citizens. Koonin was extremely interested in Hong Kong's recent flu-related primary school closure as important case study for pandemic policymakers. As a result of Koonin's visit, Post is reviewing Emergency Action Plan and tripwire documents for revisions, and will conduct an AI tabletop exercise to test response capabilities and effectiveness. The Hong Kong American Chamber also hosted Koonin as a keynote speaker on "Post SARS: Pandemic Planning for Businesses." In this well-attended event, Koonin reiterated the necessity of pre-outbreak planning as the foundation for an early, targeted and layered pandemic response. End Summary. ¶2. (U) Lisa Koonin, Infectious Disease Expert with the U.S. CDC visited Hong Kong on March 28 en route to an APEC-sponsored pandemic planning for SMEs training session in Taiwan. While in Hong Kong, Koonin met with Post's AIWG to discuss pandemic policy and community mitigation strategies. The AIWG includes representatives from across the mission, both State and non-State, American and local personnel. Koonin discussed a full range of pandemic-related issues, including: a historical look of the U.S. 1918 pandemic; resources/policies at www.pandemicflu.gov; the critical role of risk communication; a three-prong approach to community mitigation; and the CDC's current outlook for a pandemic occurrence, from H5N1 or another source. ¶3. (U) Koonin was extremely interested in Hong Kong's recent primary school closure as a result of seasonal flu outbreaks. She noted that this response was not only important practice for a much larger and more serious outbreak, but also a useful case study for policymakers as they review community response to government containment actions. Based on the March 28 discussion Post is reviewing Emergency Action Plan and tripwire documents for needed revisions, and will conduct an AI tabletop exercise to test overall response capabilities and effectiveness. ¶4. (U) The Hong Kong American Chamber of Commerce also hosted Koonin as a keynote speaker on "Post SARS: Pandemic Planning for Businesses." This event was attended by over 40 U.S. business representatives, from multinationals to SMEs. During a comprehensive overview of pandemic planning, Koonin reiterated the necessity of pre-outbreak planning as the foundation for an early, targeted and layered pandemic response, and encouraged businesses to utilize the "Pandemic Preparedness Planning" checklist for businesses from the USG. Hong Kong-based businesses are generally well-prepared for a pandemic outbreak following their experiences with SARS in 2002-2003. Nevertheless, participants found Koonin's presentation informative and helpful as they considered measures to address future crises. ¶5. (U) Post's point of contact is ESTH Officer Dawn Schrepel, who can be reached at schrepeldm@state.gov, 852-2841-2104 (office). Cunningham