INDONESIA - OCTOBER 27 AVIAN INFLUENZA UPDATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 001977 SIPDIS UNCLASSIFIED DEPT FOR EAP/MTS, G/AIAG, L/DL, EAP/EX, AND OES/IHA USAID FOR ANE/CLEMENTS AND GH/CARROLL DEPT ALSO PASS TO HHS/WSTEIGER/MSTLOUIS AND HHS/NIH DEPT ALSO PASS TO DOJ for OFL GENEVA FOR WHO/HOHMAN USDA/FAS/OSTA BRANT, ROSENBLUM USDA/APHIS ANNELLI E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: TBIO EAGR AMGT PGOV ID KLIG SUBJECT: INDONESIA - OCTOBER 27 AVIAN INFLUENZA UPDATE ¶1. (SBU) Summary. French embassy officials reported that in a series of avian influenza (AI) related meetings, Government of Indonesia (GOI)officials told them that the AI situation in Indonesia is improving and that the sample sharing impasse will likely end soon. U.S. government efforts to contribute to avian influenza control intensify through USAID, APHIS, CDC and Regional Emerging Diseases Investigation (REDI) center efforts to train and help in pandemic preparedness. Minister of Health Siti Fadilah Supari continues to attract press, including stories on her upcoming books about avian influenza and HIV/AIDs as well as her trip to Papua to investigate allegations that the French are spreading cholera. For a second year in a row, Globe Asia cited Minister of Health Siti Fadilah Supari as one of Indonesia's 99 Most Powerful Women. End Summary. -------------- French Develop AI Fact-Finding Report -------------- ¶2. (SBU) A senior French official told us that during a series of meetings in late September and early October, Indonesian officials from the Ministry of Health and Agriculture reported that Indonesia has made substantial gains in controlling avian influenza through better training of workers, biosecurity improvement and increased public awareness. During his meeting with Bayu Krisnamurthi, Chief Executive Officer of the National Committee for Avian Influenza and Pandemic Control (KOMNAS),the French official noted that Bayu expressed optimism that the sample sharing impasse would end soon given successful bilateral negotiations between the Indonesian and United States that were facilitated by Australia. Bayu hoped that the sample sharing impasse will end once the Intergovernmental Meetings in Geneva are completed. The French Embassy is conducting these meetings to develop an Indonesian Avian Influenza fact finding report that the French will present to European Union countries -------------- -------------- USG Programs Coordinate Donors; Focus on Training and Pandemic Preparedness -------------- -------------- ¶3. (SBU) USAID is working with key GOI partners from the Ministries of Health and Agriculture, KOMNAS, and with implementing partners Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO),World Health Organization (WHO),Development Alternatives Inc., International Livestock Research Institute, and John Snow International to develop coordinated work plans for FY08. Joint plans include geographic focusing on the western half of Java and expanding program activities to include interventions in commercial poultry production and the market chain. ¶4. (SBU) During the week of October 20, Ron Waldman, USAID/W team leader for humanitarian pandemic preparedness and response visited Indonesia with representatives from the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) to initiate discussions with the GOI, local Red Cross society (PMI) and United Nations agencies for phase 6 pandemic preparedness planning and response. USAID/W is funding a $35 million three year grant to the United Nations and a $30 million three year grant to the IFRC for activities in more than 20 countries. ¶5. (SBU) In an effort to improve Indonesia's early warning disease surveillance system, CDC is working together with the Ministry of Health and WHO on a pilot Early Warning and Response Surveillance (EWARS),designed to pick up key diseases such as AI at the district level. EWARs will begin in November. CDC, the REDI Center, and the National Institute of Health Research and Development (NIHRD) plan to track poultry infections in wet markets, abattoirs, and collector yards and measure the impact on poultry workers. On the animal side, CDC is supporting Colorado State University with improving Bogor Veterinary School's animal sample testing protocols as part of their work studying AI disease patterns in ducks. ¶6. (SBU) CDC is planning to collaborate with MOH, WHO, Embassy of Japan on a second epicenter containment exercise during February 2009 in Makassar, Sulawesi. This simulation includes testing revised operational plans based on lessons learned from the Bali exercise. Planners have already started training of participants representing multiple agencies and ministries throughout Indonesia. JAKARTA 00001977 002 OF 002 -------------- -------------- APHIS PROMOTES BIOSECURITY -------------- ¶7. (SBU) In response to a request from the Indonesian Poultry Industry, APHIS is assisting the Indonesian Animal Health Authority with training auditors to conduct biosecurity assessments of commercial poultry farms. APHIS has already held three workshops regarding biosecurity and industry-government cooperation. The Indonesian Poultry Industry hopes to establish biosecurity standards to control poultry disease within its commercial poultry sector similar to USDA's domestic National Poultry Improvement Plan. ¶8. (SBU) APHIS also reports that officials have completed a baseline survey of human and animal health avian influenza risk factors for Tangerang. The Tangerang Project Secretariat plans to present the survey results at a workshop in late November. Additional Tangerang project plans include implementing biosecurity measures such as perimeter control in specific poultry slaughter facilities, markets, and poultry producer farms related to slaughter facilities. -------------- REDI CENTRE UPDATE -------------- ¶9. (SBU) In September 2008, the REDI Centre, WHO, and the MOH Directorate of Medical Care Services developed a work plan to update AI care and treatment guidelines based on latest published data as well as clinical data from Indonesian AI cases. The MOH plans to use the revised guidelines, available in early 2009, to optimize current care and treatment of AI patients. In October 2008, REDI began collaborating with WHO-Jakarta to develop a training program to ensure that key AI referral hospitals deliver high level critical care services. The REDI Centre plans to support RS Sulianti Saroso, the national infectious disease hospital located in Jakarta, in developing and implementing their hospital pandemic preparedness plan. -------------- Supari in the Press: Books, Cholera and Power -------------- ¶10. (U) On October 24, the Indonesian newspaper Republica reported that Minister Supari plans to release two new books. Her next book will describe the reactions to her first book "It's Time for the World to Change" and will include discussion on other issues such as NAMRU-2, fuel demonstrations and disease outbreaks. Supari plans to release a third book describing the health problems in Papua, including HIV/AIDS, maternal health and infant mortality. ¶11. (SBU) Detiknews featured a story on October 18 noting that Supari was visiting a "French-run" gold mine in Papua to investigate allegations that the French were spreading cholera to clear village of inhabitants so that company can expand mining operations. Without explicitly endorsing the allegations, Supari noted her main purpose for the visit was to discover the foreign role in the outbreak. (The French Embassy later told us the French company named in the article had actually sold off all mining interests over four years ago to an American company.) ¶12. (U) In its October 2008 issue, GlobeAsia (a monthly Indonesian business magazine) ranked Minister of Health Supari as the 16th most powerful woman in Indonesia, which is the same ranking from last year's issue. According to the magazine, "Health Minister Siti Fadilah has won international acclaim and received her share of criticism over her efforts in tackling the spread of avian influenza in Indonesia. Last year Siti and the government stopped sharing bird flu samples with developed nations until Indonesia received fairer access to medicines produced from them. The move drew a strong reaction from the US and the World Health Organization (WHO) but talks are now reaching a close on a new system for international sample sharing." HUME