This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 000762 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR OES/IHA (DR. DSINGER/RSDALEY), EUR/WE 
DHHS FOR OGHA (STEIGER/BUDASHEWITZ) 
FAS FOR ITP/MACKE/THOMAS, CMP/DLP/WETZEL/CLERKIN, FAS/BLEGGI 
FAS PASS FSIS AND APHIS 
CDC FOR DR. DBELL 
HOMELAND SECURITY FOR OIA 
USEU BRUSSELS PASS APHIS/FERNANDEZ 
MILAN PLEASE PASS TO TURIN OFFICE 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: TBIO EAGR KFLU SENV ECON PREL KSCA IT AVIAN INFLUENZA
SUBJECT:  ITALIAN AVIAN/PANDEMIC INFLUENZA PLAN ADOPTED 
 
REFTELS:  (A) ROME 000510, (B) 05 ROME 4188, (C) 05 Rome 
 
4113 
 
¶1.  SUMMARY:  Ref C reported on a draft version of Italy's 
avian/pandemic influenza preparedness plan.  The final 
version of the plan was adopted by the Council of the State 
and Regions on February 9, 2006.  The National Plan for 
Preparedness and Response to Pandemic Influenza is now 
available in Italian on the Health Ministry's Center for 
Disease Control internet web site at: 
(http://www.ccm.ministerosalute.it/imgs/C_17_ pubblicazioni_5 
01_allegato.pdf.  The final version, which is much less 
detailed than the earlier draft (Ref C), updates and 
replaces the 2002 version.  The final version enumerates 
guidelines for the operational plans to be prepared by each 
Italian region, with input from all institutions with 
responsibilities during a pandemic.  The GOI intends to 
update the plan on a regular basis, as the regional plans 
are completed.  END SUMMARY. 
 
PLAN'S MAIN OBJECTIVES 
---------------------- 
 
¶2.  Preparing for an influenza pandemic is a top priority 
for the Government of Italy, and the GOI is working with 
many partners, including the United States, to enhance 
global capacity to respond.  Italian medical science, 
veterinary services, and public health infrastructure are 
capable of timely and effective disease detection and 
outbreak response.  The plan's main objective is to increase 
preparedness at both national and local levels, in order to: 
 
--  Improve epidemiological and virological surveillance to 
quickly identify flu cases caused by new viral sub-types and 
immediately recognize the onset of a pandemic. 
--  Guarantee access to medical treatment in order to 
minimize transmission and limit mortality. 
--  Reduce the impact on social services and maintain 
essential services. 
--  Provide adequate training to medical responders. 
--  Establish mechanisms for immediately channeling updated 
information to decision.makers, the health system, and the 
public. 
--  Monitor continuously the efficacy of actions taken. 
 
COUNCIL OF MINISTERS TAKES OVER FROM HEALTH MINISTRY WHEN 
WHO DECLARES PANDEMIC ALERT. 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
 
¶3.  The plan adopts the WHO's six phases and levels of 
pandemic alert, and provides for specific actions to be 
taken during each phase/level.  When the WHO Director 
General declares the current phase of alert, the Health 
Minister provides the information to the public. The 
Ministry of Health and its operational branch, the CCM, 
("Centro Nazionale per la Prevenzione ed il Controllo delle 
Malattie" - the Italian CDC), will be responsible for 
planning, carrying out, and monitoring pandemic-related 
activities. The CCM has formed a Strategy Committee, which 
includes the Health Minister, the Regions, the Civil 
Protection Department, and the Defense Ministry.  The CCM is 
supported by universities, animal health institutes, and 
public, private, and military hospitals all over Italy. 
Local actions, determined and coordinated by the CCM, will 
be overseen by the Regions through their own operational 
bodies. 
 
¶4.  As each pandemic phase is declared, the Health Ministry 
will reach agreement with the Regions on health care 
actions, and with other ministries on all necessary non- 
health actions, including making international agreements. 
Health care measures will be available to everyone in Italy, 
as well as to personnel at Italian embassies in affected 
countries. 
 
¶5.  When the WHO declares the maximum level of pandemic 
alert (phase 6), the Ministry of Health/CCM will cede 
decision-making authority to the Council of Ministers and 
the Prime Minister, who will declare a state of emergency 
and activate the Civil Protection Department. 
 
ACTIONS TO DATE 
--------------- 
 
¶6.  Reftels outlined GOI actions already taken in the areas 
of public health and veterinary prevention, i.e., increased 
surveillance and augmented veterinary forces.  On public 
health, the GOI has purchased four million doses of 
antivirals, which will be stockpiled by the end of 2006. 
The drugs will be distributed to the Italian regions, which 
will be responsible for administering them immediately in 
case of a pandemic. 
 
¶7.  Vaccination and Antivirals.  The GOI has signed 
contracts with drug companies for vaccine production.  The 
vaccine will be administered to six categories of 
individuals by priority (health care providers first and 
healthy adults last).  The plan does not give details on 
expenditures; but on September 2, 2005 (Ref C), the Health 
Ministry announced that Italy had paid five million euros in 
pre-emption rights to purchase 36 million doses of vaccine 
and 1.5 million euros for antivirals. 
 
NEXT STEPS 
---------- 
 
¶8.  The CCM will prepare national guidelines for actions 
included in the plan that have not yet been completed, and 
will include them as technical annexes.  Many of the actions 
have already been started (see paragraph 6 and reftels). 
Operational effectiveness will be tested in national and 
local exercises, which will include all authorities and 
health and emergency professionals with responsibilities 
during a pandemic. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶9.  The final version of the National Plan is much less 
detailed than the draft of November 30, 2005, which was 
furnished in confidence to the Embassy (Ref C).  The final 
version does not spell out specifics, but instead sets out 
broad guidelines and areas of national/local responsibility. 
Though final, the plan appears to be a "work in progress" 
that we expect will evolve as the European region and the 
rest of the world respond to the evolving avian influenza 
situation.  END COMMENT. 
SPOGLI