VZCZCXRO6270
RR RUEHRN
DE RUEHNE #5367/01 3540548
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 200548Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9771
INFO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 5821
RUEHRN/USMISSION UN ROME 0004
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 7447
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1223
RUEHJA/AMEMBASSY JAKARTA 0640
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 0348
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHDC
RUEAUSA/HHS PHS WASHDC
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 NEW DELHI 005367 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR G AND G/AIAG 
PASS USAID FOR GH 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TBIO EAGR KFLU EAID PREL IN
SUBJECT: AVIAN INFLUENZA: NEW DELHI CONFERENCE DISCUSSES THREAT, 
PLEDGES $401 MILLION FOR INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE 
 
REF: (A) State 159330; (B) New Delhi 5231 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1.  The Government of India (GOI) hosted a successful international 
conference on avian and pandemic influenza, in collaboration with 
the International Partnership on Avian and Pandemic Influenza 
(IPAPI), on December 4-6.  Several themes emerged: that the 
international community cannot let down its guard against the threat 
from avian and pandemic influenza (API); that we need to move toward 
a "one health" approach to dealing with animal and human health 
threats; and that many countries are shifting emphasis from 
emergency response to building long-term capacity for API and other 
emerging threats.  The USG, with a pledge of $195 million, led 
donors in new pledges of international assistance to combat the 
spread of avian influenza and to prepare for a possible pandemic 
totaling $401 million.  The GOI presented, as a template for other 
nations to use, a road map for 2008 action on API whose 
recommendations include the importance of effective public 
communication about API, improving biosecurity in poultry farms, and 
coordination between animal and public health sectors. 
 
¶2.  Indonesian Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari contended that 
the question of sharing virus samples was more important than issues 
the conference considered, but discussion of this topic was minimal 
(as planned).  Egypt announced that it will host the next 
international API conference in October 2008. 
 
¶3.  GOI Prime Minister Singh, the leaders of several international 
organizations, and numerous government ministers addressed the 
conference.  USDel was led by senior officials from State, USDA, 
HHS, USAID and DOD. 
End Summary. 
 
Fifth in a Series of International Conferences 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶4.  The New Delhi International Ministerial Conference on Avian and 
Pandemic Influenza, the fifth major international API meeting since 
October 2005, was held December 4-6 in partnership with IPAPI.  It 
was the largest such gathering to date, attracting nearly 750 
delegates -- 40 of them ministers -- representing 111 nations and 29 
international and regional organizations.  Indian Prime Minister 
Manmohan Singh, World Health Organization (WHO) Director General 
Margaret Chan, UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Director 
General Jacques Diouf, World Organization for Animal Health (known 
by French initials OIE) Director General Bernard Vallat, UN System 
Influenza Coordinator (UNSIC) David Nabarro, and World Bank Director 
of Operations Services Peter Harrold addressed the conference. 
 
Pandemic Threat Demands Continued Vigilance 
------------------------------------------- 
¶5.  Singh warned the conference against the danger of institutional 
fatigue in the battle against API and urged a "one health" approach 
to the threat that closely integrates animal and human health 
efforts.  Chan stressed the international community dare not let 
down its guard against API since, though its timing and nature are 
unknown, another pandemic is inevitable.  She said that, unlike in 
past centuries, improved science now provides early warning of the 
composition and mutations of viruses like the highly pathogenic H5N1 
virus that could cause a pandemic.  She added that, since a pandemic 
at its peak could affect an estimated 35% of the work force, it was 
vital to involve all parts of society in pandemic preparations, 
including the finance and business sectors.  Nabarro noted that 
efforts to combat API needed to continue because, while 
international efforts had succeeding in reducing AI in the world, 
the virus had now spread to some 60 nations and had become enzootic 
(entrenched) in several.  Diouf said that because diseases 
transmittable to humans often originate in developing nations, 
investments to improve health systems should focus on them and be 
viewed as an international public good.  Nabarro, Vallat and Harrold 
stressed the need for continued financial support for global efforts 
to combat the spread of avian influenza and to prepare for a 
possible human pandemic.  USDel also met separately with Diouf (Ref 
B). 
 
Indonesia Raises Sample Sharing Issue 
------------------------------------- 
 
 
NEW DELHI 00005367  002 OF 003 
 
 
¶6.  Indonesian Health Minister Supari reiterated comments she made 
at the WHO Intergovernmental Meeting in Geneva November 20-23, and 
previously.  She asserted that the question of virus sharing was 
more important than the issues considered at the New Delhi 
conference and that developing countries, instead of depending on 
the good will or charity of developed nations with vaccine 
manufacturing capacity for pharmaceuticals, should have the right to 
the benefits derived from viral samples from their countries. 
(NOTE:  The controversies involving sample sharing and benefit 
sharing are being dealt with under WHO auspices and, by design, were 
not on the New Delhi agenda.  END NOTE.)  She also said that nations 
had no idea what happened to viruses sent to WHO Collaborating 
Centers and did not know if they were shared with vaccine 
manufacturers or "are utilized for the development of biological 
weapons."  Though several nations referred to this issue, it was not 
a major topic of discussion.  Special Representative Lange praised 
the concrete results of the WHO Intergovernmental Meeting and called 
on all nations to share virus samples freely without encumbrances. 
Egypt, during its presentation, and Japan, in its statement at the 
pledging session, also strongly supported the need to share virus 
samples freely and without conditions.  Norway described the need 
for transparency, traceability and trust in the Global Influenza 
Surveillance Network while all countries fully share samples. 
 
Pledging Session Raises Over $400 Million 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶7.  Though the New Delhi meeting was not a pledging conference as 
such, it included a pledging session in which eight nations and the 
European Commission announced $401 million in additional pledges of 
international assistance above the levels at the last such pledging 
session in Bamako in December 2006.  The USG, as usual, led the list 
of bilateral contributors.  The list follows based on World Bank 
data: 
 
United States                             195.00 
European Commission      111.46 
Japan                     69.10 
United Kingdom               10.21 
France                     7.25 
Germany                           4.27 
India                      2.00 
Norway                             1.75 
Greece                     0.43 
 
Total                    401.47 
 
UNSIC's Nabarro noted that the total amount raised, though 
considerably less than the total new contributions pledged in 
Bamako, was encouraging, particularly since the purpose of the 
meeting was not primarily to solicit pledges. 
 
Next Steps 
---------- 
 
¶8.  At the conference, Egypt offered to host the next international 
API conference, in collaboration with IPAPI, in October in Cairo in 
2008 (most likely in the latter half of October).  Egypt hopes to 
include an emphasis on such capacity-building activities as regional 
laboratory networks for Africa and beyond.  The Egyptian offer was 
well-received and accepted by the delegates.  At the close of the 
meeting, India presented its "Vision and Road Map" for use by 
countries, particularly those that have not been fully engaged in 
containing avian influenza and preparing for a pandemic, as a 
template with milestones to be achieved by the end of 2008.  The 
Road Map was developed with considerable input from delegates at the 
conference, including USDel, but was presented as the vision of the 
host country.  It stresses the need for effective surveillance for 
avian influenza in animals and humans, for planning for quick 
response to contain and eradicate the virus in poultry, for 
effective biosecurity measures on farms and for preparing 
pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical interventions for human cases 
of avian or pandemic influenza. 
 
IPAPI Core Group Meeting 
------------------------ 
 
¶9.  After the conference concluded, Special Representative on API 
John Lange chaired a meeting involving representatives of the IPAPI 
Core Group (Australia, Canada, Japan, UK, U.S., European 
 
NEW DELHI 00005367  003 OF 003 
 
 
Union/Commission), international organizations, and the Government 
of Egypt.  The World Bank and UNSIC in the coming months plan to 
work with other international organizations and governments to 
develop options for a strategic framework that was described as the 
natural evolution of the effort that solidifies progress made to 
date and moves forward with the next phase of our collective work. 
The World Bank may host an experts meeting on the subject in the 
spring.  (COMMENT:  The evolution of API efforts will require close 
coordination within the USG, conceivably including offices that deal 
with other emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases.  END 
COMMENT.) 
 
Media Coverage 
--------------- 
¶10. Media coverage of the conference was sparse and there was clear 
frustration among the journalists. They had not received a press 
release or media advisory, they were not given a conference packet 
or even a program schedule, they did not have the names of the 
speakers, let along biographies, and they received no background 
materials to help them understand the issues. One reporter of the 
largest English language TV network stated that the Minister of 
Health had called her personally and asked her to cover the 
conference. It also came to our attention that some reporters who 
wanted to attend the conference, were not allowed in because they 
did not have the Press Information Bureau identification, a 
credential only given to media elite. Thus, the reporter that 
attended the State Department's two-day workshop on avian influenza 
before the conference was not allowed to cover the conference 
itself. Instead, a more senior member of her newspaper attended who 
was clearly not versed in the issue. The inadequate handling of 
media coverage is a disconcerting sign of how ill equipped the 
Indian government is with regard to health communications. 
 
¶11. The U.S. delegation was the only delegation that circulated any 
sort of press materials at the conference. FAO and the Prime 
Minister's office distributed copies of the speeches of the FAO 
Director and the Prime Minister respectively. U.S. Embassy New Delhi 
distributed press packets with background materials, biographies of 
its delegation members and also distributed a copy of Ambassador 
Lange's remarks. This was in addition to a press release issued on 
the last day regarding the U.S. pledge. The release was picked up by 
the international wires AFP and Reuters and the Indian wires DPA, 
UNI, PTI and IANS. The reports of the U.S. donation also appeared in 
leading newspapers "The Times of India" (est. circulation 2 
million), "Indian Express" (est. circulation 300,000), "The Economic 
Times" (est. circulation 450,000) and "The Financial Express" (est. 
circulation 300,000) and television channels "NDTV" and "Headlines 
Today". The media coverage reflected the US commitment toward 
controlling Avian Flu. 
 
 
¶12.  USDel has cleared this cable. 
 
WHITE