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DE RUEHC #9330/01 3252117
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P 212105Z NOV 07
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO ALL DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR POSTS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 STATE 159330 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR KFLU EAID TBIO PREL XX
SUBJECT: SUPPORT FOR NEW DELHI CONFERENCE ON AVIAN AND 
PANDEMIC INFLUENZA IN COLLABORATION WITH IPAPI 
 
¶1.  This is an action request (see para 12) both for posts 
whose host governments have not yet accepted invitations to 
the New Delhi avian and pandemic influenza conference and 
for donor nations. 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶2.   Begin Summary:   The USG has assumed a world 
leadership role in the effort to combat the spread of avian 
and pandemic influenza (API), beginning with the 
International Partnership on Avian and Pandemic Influenza 
(IPAPI) first announced by President Bush at the UN General 
Assembly in September 2005.  Avian influenza continues to 
spread in poultry, and the threat of a mutation that would 
cause a potentially catastrophic human pandemic persists. 
The USG strongly supports the Government of India (GOI) 
which, in collaboration with IPAPI, is organizing the next 
major international conference, to be held in New Delhi 
December 4-6.  This message asks posts to engage host 
governments to urge attendance at the New Delhi conference. 
This message also requests posts whose host nations are 
potential donors to urge them to fulfill past commitments 
and/or to make additional pledges for combating avian and 
pandemic influenza.   We request a response before November 
¶29.  End summary. 
 
BACKGROUND:  GLOBAL ENGAGMENT ON API 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶3.  Since its first appearance in 1996 in China, the highly 
pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus has spread to some 60 
nations and has become entrenched in several countries, 
including Indonesia and Egypt.  Over 300 million poultry 
have died or been culled since 2003.  The World Health 
Organization as of November had laboratory confirmation of 
335 human cases of avian influenza, 206 of which were 
fatal, a mortality rate of 61 percent.  Sustained and 
efficient human-to-human transmission of avian influenza 
has yet to take place.  If it does occur, according to one 
estimate, the worst-case scenario for a global human 
pandemic could result in over 140 million deaths worldwide 
and staggering economic losses.  Consequently, governments, 
and international organizations continue to respond to 
outbreaks of H5N1 in poultry and other animals, to limit 
the spread of the virus, and to prepare for a possible 
pandemic. 
 
¶4.  Containing the spread of avian influenza and preparing 
for a potential global human pandemic have remained key USG 
foreign policy objectives since President Bush announced 
the formation of IPAPI at the UN General Assembly in 
September 2005.   The International Partnership works 
closely with bilateral partners and with the United Nations 
System Influenza Coordinator (UNSIC), the World Health 
Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization 
(FAO), and the World Organization for Animal Health (known 
by its initials in French as OIE), and with regional 
organizations, such as the Asia Pacific Economic 
Cooperation (APEC) forum. The Under Secretary of State for 
Democracy and Global Affairs, Paula Dobriansky, established 
the Avian Influenza Action Group (G/AIAG) to coordinate 
international action among all USG agencies involved.  The 
USG strategy is to increase global action to address the 
global threat in three ways:  (1) preparedness and 
communication; (2) surveillance and detection; and (3) 
response and containment. 
 
¶5.  The New Delhi Ministerial Conference on Avian and 
Pandemic Influenza, hosted by the GOI and organized in 
collaboration with IPAPI, will take place from December 4- 
¶6.   The conference, which will focus on the importance of 
addressing both human and animal health concerns, will 
decide on a road map for future action.  New Delhi will be 
the fifth major high-level international conference on API, 
following meetings in Washington (October 2005), Beijing 
(January 2006), Vienna (June 2006) and Bamako (December 
2006).   Special Representative on Avian and Pandemic 
Influenza John Lange will lead the U.S. delegation, which 
will include senior officials from State, USAID, the 
Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and 
Human Services. 
 
¶6.  The GOI has invited agriculture and health ministers in 
nations where it has diplomatic posts and has invited other 
nations through its UN mission.  The U.S. Government 
(through USAID) will contribute up to 300,000 dollars to 
the UN Food and Agriculture Organization to fund the travel 
 
STATE 00159330  002 OF 003 
 
 
of delegations to the conference from developing nations, 
and the European Commission is also contributing funds for 
this purpose.  (Host nations interested in this funding 
should contact FAO or the European Commission). 
 
¶7.  The U.S. has been the leader in providing grant funding 
for API.  The U.S. contribution of 100 million dollars was 
the largest pledge by a single nation at the 2006 Bamako 
conference and brought total USG funding to $434 million, 
out of a total of $2.35 billion pledged since the threat of 
avian influenza appeared.  We plan to announce another 
substantial pledge of new funds in New Delhi.  We urge 
other donor governments to consider additional 
contributions. 
 
USG GOALS FOR NEW DELHI CONFERENCE 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶8.  USG goals for the New Delhi API meeting follow: 
 
-- Ensure continued worldwide action on the avian/pandemic 
influenza threat and the need to build long-term capacity 
to deal with threats to both animal and human health from 
this and other infectious diseases; 
 
-- Continue to improve communication and transparency in 
reporting outbreaks and in sharing samples for tracking 
changes in the virus; 
 
-- Strengthen cooperation among governments through IPAPI 
and through key international organizations (including WHO, 
FAO, OIE and regional organizations); 
 
-- Demonstrate that the U.S. Government is meeting its 
commitment and increasing its financial support to assist 
nations in confronting the avian and pandemic influenza 
threat and urge that other donors do the same. 
 
NATIONS THAT WILL ATTEND THE NEW DELHI CONFERENCE 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶9.    The following nations have already indicated they 
will attend the conference:  Afghanistan, Armenia, 
Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Botswana, Bulgaria, Brunei, 
Burma, Canada, Chad, Cote d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Dominican 
Republic, Egypt, Eritrea, Fiji, France, Gambia, Germany, 
Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, Iceland, Indonesia, Iraq, Japan, 
Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Lithuania, Mauritania, Maldives, 
Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Portugal, Saudi 
Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Syria, Tanzania, 
Thailand, Togo, Turkey,  Uganda, United Arab Emirates, 
United Kingdom, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen,  Zambia and 
Zimbabwe.  The European Union and European Commission will 
also be represented. 
 
IMPORTANCE OF PARTICIPATION BY WHA COUNTRIES 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
 
¶10. The possibility that outbreaks of highly pathogenic 
H5N1 avian influenza may occur in the Western Hemisphere is 
real.  A recent Pan American Health Organization 
(PAHO)/Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) report 
suggests that Central America, whose population is largely 
rural and poor could be strongly affected.  Mexico and 
Brazil have been leaders in various hemispheric and global 
activities related to avian and pandemic influenza, and we 
strongly believe that they, as well as the Central American 
nations, and Peru, which will host an ASEAN health meeting 
next year, should attend the Delhi conference. 
 
CONTINUED NEED FOR API FUNDING 
------------------------------- 
 
¶11.  Additional funding is crucial to build capacity to 
suppress outbreaks of highly infectious influenza and to 
thwart its spread.  While the New Delhi ministerial meeting 
is not a pledging conference, it does include a session for 
announcement of pledges.  The USG, which pledged an 
additional $100 million in funding at the December 2006 
Bamako conference, will announce additional funding of over 
$190 million in New Delhi. 
 
ACTON REQUEST AND POINTS OF CONTACT 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶12.    Posts should engage governments at the appropriate 
level to express USG support for the New Delhi Conference, 
to encourage host nations to attend and to urge donor 
nations to fulfill any previous pledges and to make 
additional pledges.   Responses should be sent by cable 
before November 30 to the Avian Influenza Action Group (G- 
AIAG, attention Boggess and Summers).  Host governments 
 
STATE 00159330  003 OF 003 
 
 
that have not received invitations should be advised to 
contact the Government of India or G/AIAG.  Questions 
should be directed to Susie Boggess (BoggessSM@state.gov) 
or Hollis Summers (SummersHS@state.gov). 
 
NON-PAPER (OPTIONAL) 
-------------------- 
 
 
¶13.  Posts may wish to make use of the non-paper below. 
 
(Points on Attendance) 
 
-- The spread of avian influenza and the possibility of a 
human pandemic continue to pose a serious threat worldwide. 
 
-- Highly infectious avian influenza has now broken out in 
60 nations, and since 2003 more than 300 million poultry 
have died or been culled.   Of the 334 laboratory-confirmed 
human cases of avian influenza, 205 have died, a mortality 
rate of 61 per cent.  Although no sustained human-to-human 
transmission has yet occurred, the potential for a 
catastrophic global human pandemic continues. 
 
-- The spread of avian influenza to additional countries 
and its entrenchment in several nations requires continued 
international funding and effort to prevent its spread and 
to build capacity in developing nations to deal with a 
possible pandemic or other outbreak of infectious disease. 
 
-- The GOI in collaboration with the International 
Partnership on Avian and Pandemic Influenza is organizing a 
major international, ministerial-level conference on avian 
and pandemic influenza in New Delhi, India, December 4-6. 
Attendees will include representatives from agriculture, 
health and foreign ministries and the Directors General 
from the WHO, the FAO, and the OIE (a rare joint appearance 
of these three UN leaders).   The U.S. delegation led by 
John Lange, Special Representative on Avian and Pandemic 
Influenza, will also include senior representatives from 
the Department of State, Department of Agriculture, and 
Agency for International Development. 
 
--We hope your government will be strongly represented at 
the New Delhi conference. 
 
(Point for WHA Embassies) 
 
--Given the possibility that the highly pathogenic H5N1 
strain of avian influenza may soon spread to the Western 
Hemisphere, it is important that Latin American nations 
attend the conference to understand current international 
community efforts to thwart avian influenza and to redouble 
efforts for to prepare to contain the disease. 
 
(Points for Possible Donors) 
 
--While the New Delhi meeting is not a pledging conference, 
it does include a session for announcement of pledges. 
 
--We hope that you can pledge additional assistance, as 
well as meet past commitments to fight avian influenza and 
prepare for a possible pandemic. 
 
-- The USG, which previously pledged a total of $434 
million for international assistance for avian and pandemic 
influenza, will announce additional funding of over $190 
million in New Delhi. 
 
End non-paper points. 
 
¶14.  Additional information on the subjects covered in this 
cable can be found at the following websites: 
-- www.pandemicflu.gov - general USG information for 
primarily domestic US audience 
 --  www.State.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2005/53865.htm  Core 
Principles of the International Partnership on Avian and 
Pandemic Influenza including international cooperation and 
transparency in reporting of highly pathogenic influenza 
cases in humans and animals. 
-- www.state.gov/g/avianflu Fact sheets on US International 
action on avian influenza 
-- www.usinfo.state.gov/gi/global_issues/bird_fl u.html) 
general background brochure on avian and pandemic influenza 
-- (http://delmincon.com/) New Delhi Ministerial Conference 
on Avian and Pandemic Influenza internet site, includes 
agenda 
 
End text. 
RICE