VZCZCXYZ0007
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHJA #3452/01 3421046
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 081046Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2418
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
INFO RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RHMFIUU/BUMED WASHINGTON DC
RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 7535
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0204
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 1958

UNCLAS JAKARTA 013452 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/MLS, EAP/IET, MED/DASHO/EMR AND MED 
DEPT FOR G/AIAG AND OES 
DEPT PASS TO USDA/FAS/DLP/HWETZEL AND FAS/ICD/LAIDIG 
DEPT ALSO PASS TO USDA/FAS/FAA/DYOUNG AND USDA/APHIS/ANNELLI 
DEPT ALSO PASS TO USAID/ANE/CLEMENTS AND GH/CARROLL 
DEPT ALSO PASS TO HHS/WSTEIGER/ABHAT/MSTLOUIS AND HHS/NIH 
PARIS FOR FAS/AG MINISTER COUNSELOR 
BANGKOK FOR APHIS/CARDENAS, RMO, CDC, USAID/RDM/A 
CANBERRA FOR APHIS/EDWARDS 
ROME FOR FAO 
NSC FOR JMELINE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TBIO AMED CASC EAGR KFLU PGOV ID
SUBJECT: INDONESIA - DECEMBER 8 AVIAN INFLUENZA (AI) UPDATE 
 
REF: A) Jakarta 13370    B) Jakarta 13194 
 
1.(U) Summary. Indonesia's National Committee for AI Control 
and Pandemic Alert (KOMNAS) announced a "Beat the Bird Flu!" 
public awareness campaign on December 1.  KOMNAS will launch 
this public-private initiative on December 16.  Lativi, a 
local television station carried another episode of a State 
Department-sponsored AI documentary on December 6.  APHIS 
announced the permanent assignment of Max Coats to head the 
APHIS office at Embassy Jakarta. The Food and Agricultural 
Organization (FAO) hosted a two-day workshop to exchange 
information on various poultry AI control programs and 
identify under-resourced elements of the Indonesia's 
National Strategic Work Plan for possible future funding. 
NAMRU-2 reports no new detected or confirmed human cases of 
AI infection since November 12. End Summary. 
 
AI Public Awareness Efforts Increase 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶2. (U) KOMNAS announced a "Beat the Bird Flu!" multimedia 
campaign to heighten public awareness of bird flu on 
December 1.  This month-long campaign is a joint initiative 
among Indonesia's 24 Hour news channel Metro TV, the 
Indonesian hotel and restaurant association, private 
businesses, and KOMNAS.  The campaign will kick off with a 
charity concert on December 16, featuring top Indonesian 
performers.  KOMNAS will distribute posters, brochures and 
other educational materials about avian influenza nationally 
throughout the months of December and January as a part of 
the private sector effort.  Special television programming 
will begin on January 1 on Metro TV, and will include 
special series, programs and public service announcements 
devoted entirely to the bird flu problem. "We welcome the 
voluntary cooperation of the media and the private sector," 
said Bayu Krisnamurthi, Executive Secretary of KOMNAS. "The 
seriousness of the health threat posed by avian influenza 
means that everyone needs to get involved in this fight." 
USAID is working with KOMNAS to shape the campaign messages 
to encourage consistency with other communications efforts. 
 
¶3. (U) On December 6, Lativi, one of Indonesia's fastest 
growing television stations, carried another episode of the 
State Department-sponsored TV co-op on avian influenza. The 
piece discussed diagnostic methods in Delaware and quoted 
American researchers. 
 
APHIS Assigns Lead for Embassy Office 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (U) USDA has announced the assignment of Dr. Max Coats as 
Veterinary Officer/Avian Influenza Coordinator to Embassy 
Jakarta.  Dr. Coats will establish a five-person office, 
including several Indonesian animal health professionals, 
which will provide on the ground expertise regarding animal 
health issues surrounding AI in Indonesia. Dr. Coats will 
arrive in January 2007 for an initial tour of 13 months. 
 
Food and Agricultural Organization Coordination Actions 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
 
¶5. (U) FAO Indonesia hosted a consultation forum on December 
4 to intensify coordination on technical aspects of 
combating AI in animals.  The forum included an exchange of 
information on AI projects in the poultry sector, 
information on project implementation and discussion of 
missing or under-resourced elements of the GOI National 
Strategic Work Plan.  Over 20 representatives from the 
international donor community (including USAID and FAS) and 
GOI participated in the meeting. 
 
¶6. (SBU) FAO's team of technical experts followed the forum 
with a two-day internal workshop to assess progress to date, 
strengthen support for the Ministry of Agriculture's AI 
Campaign Management Unit, and to finalize the FAO work plan 
for 2007.  FAO plans to use the meeting to establish 
realistic objectives towards full implementation of the 
MOA's National Strategic Work Plan. 
 
NAMRU-2 Human AI Case Profile 
----------------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) NAMRU-2 reports no new human cases since November 
¶12. NAMRU-2 data indicates the following AI-related case 
profile as of December 8: 
 
-- Number of laboratory confirmed (positive PCR and/or 
serology) human AI cases: 74, of which 57 have been fatal 
(case fatality rate of 77 percent). 
 
-- Number of probable AI cases 3 (2 deaths, 67%). 
 
-- Number of cases awaiting analysis at the U.S. CDC: 0. 
 
-- Number of possible untested AI cases under investigation 
(last 30 days): approximately 4. 
 
Note: NAMRU-2 data corresponds with MOH data but may vary at 
times with AI case figures presented on the official World 
Health Organization (WHO) website, which usually lags NAMRU- 
2 data by one week.  The WHO website, last updated on 
November 29, notes 74 human AI cases in Indonesia with 57 
deaths.  WHO figures can be accessed at 
www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza. 
 
PASCOE