SURINAME TO MOVE FORWARD ON AVIAN INFLUENZA PREPAREDNESS

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TAGS: TBIO KFLU EAGR KSTH NS
SUBJECT: SURINAME TO MOVE FORWARD ON AVIAN INFLUENZA PREPAREDNESS
PLANNING IN 2008

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1. (SBU) Summary. The Government of Suriname (GOS) made progress on
pandemic influenza preparedness in 2007, and hopes to announce a
National Avian Influenza Preparedness Plan in early 2008. In 2007,
the GOS engaged international partners on pandemic influenza and is
now working to map, using GPS technology, all potential sites that
impact the poultry industry. Ministry of Health (MOH) efforts to
shift responsibility for pandemic influenza planning to the local
level were limited in 2007 by a lack of human resources; until these
committees are functioning, a gaping hole will remain in Suriname's
disaster planning. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is
prepared to offer technical assistance to local disaster committees.
End Summary.


2. (U) During a January 22 meeting with officials from the Ministry
of Health (MOH),Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and
Fisheries (MOA),and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO),
Dr. Wim Bakker, Deputy Director of the Bureau of Public Health, told
Econoff the Government of Suriname (GOS) had made progress on
disaster preparedness planning in 2007. Plans under development
cover two different scenarios, 1) disaster with mass casualties, and
2) pandemic influenza outbreak. During the first quarter of 2008,
the MOH will announce its National Avian Influenza Preparedness
Plan. The Bureau of Public Health will then hold a pandemic
influenza outbreak simulation to provide training to ministries,
district (state) governments, and private organizations. Dr. Edmund
Rozenblad, Director of Animal Production and Health at the MOA,
added that the MOA will also hold its own tabletop exercise on avian
influenza in 2008.


3. (U) During the meeting, participants outlined GOS efforts in 2007
to prepare against a pandemic influenza outbreak. First, the MOH
increased surveillance of acute respiratory infections in hospitals.
Second, the GOS reinforced partnerships with the Caribbean
Epidemiological Center (CAREC) and with the Pasteur Institute
(French Guiana) for diagnostic testing of pandemic influenza.
Third, GOS officials attended meetings hosted by CARICOM member
countries and by the Office International des Epizooties (OIE) on
issues ranging from migratory bird routes, to tracking the live
poultry industry, to creating public awareness of avian influenza.
Fourth, the MOH held a disaster preparedness conference on avian
influenza with all identified stakeholders, and used the outputs
from this to write the National Avian Influenza Preparedness Plan.


4. (U) The Bureau of Public Health conducted outreach activities in
2007 to the districts of Wanica and Para, where most of the
country's poultry farms are located, and in Nickerie, the district
bordering Guyana. During these meetings, Dr. Bakker told Econoff,
they encouraged district governments and hospitals to set up
disaster committees. To date, no district-level or hospital
disaster committees exist. After the National Avian Influenza
Preparedness Plan is issued, districts and hospitals should create
disaster committees to do functional planning as detailed planning
cannot be done at the national level. The MOH will sign a
Memorandum of Understanding with each committee and provide training
on dealing with a pandemic influenza outbreak or mass casualties
from a disaster.


5. (U) Dr. Rozenblad said the MOA completed GPS-mapping of all major
producers of poultry in 2007. Live bird markets and slaughterhouses
in Central and Eastern Suriname were also mapped, and those in
Western Suriname will be mapped in early 2008. The MOA district
offices have received training and will begin adding pet shops and
importers of poultry and poultry products in 2008. MOA officials
will train people in the poultry industry on bio-security once the
mapping project is completed. In addition, the MOA cooperated with
the Ministry of Physical Planning, Land and Forestry Management, on
mapping the nesting sites of aquatic birds in order to monitor how
close migratory birds get to the poultry industry.


6. (U) In a separate conversation on January 31, Dr. Stephen Simon,
Country Representative for PAHO, told Econoff that current
achievements on pandemic influenza planning were the result of much
work by the MOH, and that the road ahead is "difficult, but not
impossible." Since MOH efforts to convince districts and hospitals
(which are semi-autonomous) to voluntarily set up disaster
committees have not been successful, the National Plan could serve
as the needed catalyst. If not, Simon said it may be necessary for
the Minister of Health or another high-ranking MOH official to
intervene and issue a letter requesting districts and hospitals
comply.


7. (U) The biggest challenge, according to Simon, could be the
capability of the local committees to do the actual planning, as
most will have had no prior experience. They will require outside
expertise and hands-on assistance in the drafting. As such, it

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could take several years to draft these plans. PAHO is prepared to
provide all the technical assistance that it can mobilize in order
to assist in the drafting.


8. (SBU) Comment. Suriname has made incremental progress in
preparing for a pandemic influenza outbreak. However, the limited
availability of Bureau of Public Health human resources, coupled
with the dependence on local disaster committees (which do not
exist) to do the detailed functional planning, remain a challenge.
Whether the issuance of a National Plan will convince districts and
hospitals to set up disaster committees, or whether the MOH will
have to consider more extreme measures, remains to be seen. End
Comment.

SCHREIBER HUGHES