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

271615Z Feb 06

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 001220 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FROM USMISSION UNESCO 
 
STATE FOR IO/EDA SHARON KOTOK, IO/T AMY BRIDGMAN 
IO/UNESCO KEVIN PILZ, OES HAROLD FOSTER, BARRIE RIPIN, 
OES/STAS ANDREW W. REYNOLDS, OES/IHA JOHN S. BLODGETT, 
OES SUSAN POVENMIRE, G JOAQUIN FERRAO, G JEFFREY MIOTKE 
STATE FOR NSC GENE WHITNEY 
STATE FOR NSF INTERNATIONAL OFFICE 
STATE FOR USDA PETER FERNANDEZ, RON DEHAVEN, AND 
MICHAEL J. DAVID 
STATE FOR USAID DENNIS CARROLL 
 
 
E.O. 12958:     N/A 
TAGS: TBIO KSCA
SUBJECT:  AVIAN FLU:  WORLD ANIMAL HEALTH ORGANIZATION 
(OIE) on PUBLIC OUTREACH EFFORTS 
 
REF:  A.  Paris 217 
 
¶1.  On February 22, Senior OES Public Affairs Advisor 
Susan Povenmire met with Maria Zampaglione, Director of 
Communications of the World Organization for Animal 
Health (OIE), to discuss how the USG and the OIE might 
collaborate on avian flu public outreach efforts.  US 
Mission for UNESCO Science officer and PA Officer also 
attended the meeting. 
 
OIE PUTS THE ACCENT ON OUTREACH. 
 
¶2.  Zampaglione explained to Povenmire that OIE 
Director General Bernard Vallat has, since assuming his 
duties, taken a much more pro-active approach to public 
outreach than is normally the case for leaders of 
technical organizations; ten years at the French 
agriculture ministry during the BSE crisis had 
convinced him of the necessity of scientists 
communicating with the general public.  His work over 
the past five years to establish a "communication 
mentality" set the groundwork for the OIE's ability to 
cope with the intense media interest fueled by the 
current avian virus epidemic. 
 
...AND ON IMPROVED COOPERATION WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS 
 
¶3.  Queried on the current division of responsibilities 
with other international organizations - including the 
WHO and the FAO - Zampaglione said that the OIE has 
taken a leading role in a committee on public outreach 
that includes many international organizations and 
stakeholders.  This committee constituted a big step 
forward, as initial messages to the public from 
different agencies were discordant at the beginning. 
Daily contacts among concerned officers at 
participating organizations have helped.  The positions 
of the WHO and FAO are now much clearer.  The committee 
includes sub-groups on: risk reduction, media, behavior 
change, and containment.  Research on existing 
educational material -- and possible gaps -- is key. 
The sub-group on risk reduction, for example, includes 
representatives of the OIE, FAO, WHO, the poultry 
sector, private industry, veterinary services, medical 
officers, and representatives of member states. 
 
¶4.  Queried on the division of labor between 
international organizations on implementation efforts, 
Zampaglione explained that the FAO deals with 
agricultural support for developing countries; it has a 
small unit dedicated to animal health.  According to an 
agreement worked out at Beijing, the OIE deals with 
governance issues relating to animal health on the 
global and regional level, while the FAO is active at 
the national level. The strength of the OIE is in 
veterinary infrastructure and services.  A major 
concern is that countries that do not have strong 
veterinary services will not be able to achieve early 
detection and response.  For example, Nigerian 
authorities notified the OIE of the presence of the 
avian influenza virus on February 8, but the virus had 
first been detected January 9 -- OIE Director Vallat 
had stressed the importance of strong veterinary 
infrastructure and early notification as early as 
December 2004, Zampaglione noted. 
The FAO and the OIE carried out a joint mission to 
Nigeria. 
Joint OIE/FAO reference labs investigate the 
pathogenesis and epidemiology of avian influenza 
viruses. 
 
¶5. Regarding cooperation with NGOs, the OIE maintains 
strong working relationships with many, including 
Veterinarians without Borders, even in the field.  But 
the OIE does not do public outreach in conjunction with 
NGOs, because it would be difficult to select among the 
many eager NGO partners. 
 
USG EAGER FOR INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION 
¶6.  Povenmire stressed USG eagerness to improve lines 
of communication with international organizations with 
a key role on this issue.  She briefed Zampaglione on 
the international partnership on avian influenza, 
bringing together 88 countries at the ministerial level 
to leverage resources and share information and 
expertise; the next meeting will take place this 
spring, possibly in Europe.  Povenmire also briefed 
Zampaglione on an upcoming March Conference in Atlanta 
that will bring together public health professionals to 
discuss surveillance, epidemiology, research, 
communication and training, as well as prevention and 
control; CDC is taking the lead. 
 
¶7.  Povenmire stressed that the USG interagency working 
group on avian influenza hopes to draw on existing 
material in its outreach work. On possible OIE-USG 
cooperation on public outreach, Povenmire evoked 
sharing of information sheets, and coordination of the 
translation of written materials.  Zampaglione 
confessed that the OIE website, while complete, was not 
aimed at a general audience, but at policymakers and 
specialists; the site needs some work in that regard. 
The FAO site addresses more basic questions. 
 
¶8.  Zampaglione and Povenmire agreed that an important 
point to convey to the public is that avian influenza 
has not spread widely among humans.  The positive 
aspect of the spread of the disease to Europe is 
heightened international awareness of the importance of 
transparency and of effective national systems of alert 
and surveillance, Zampaglione observed.  Malaysia's 
performance has also served as a positive example. 
Zampaglione and Povenmire both observed that press 
coverage is now limited in Latin America.  Although the 
rest of the world is in high alert, the OIE has had 
limited contact with Latin America.  Queried on next 
steps, Zampaglione said that the OIE planned to work 
through its regional office in Buenos Aires. 
 
OLIVER