Bird Flu (Avian Influenza)

Documents & Texts from America.gov

28 November 2007
United States International Engagement on Avian and Pandemic Influenza -- An Update

Related: U.S. Government Support to Combat Avian and Pandemic Influenza -- Europe and Eurasia

The threat of pandemic influenza has not changed. The U.S. Government remains concerned about the ongoing outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI ) H5N1 in birds and the potential for a human influenza pandemic that could have major global health, economic and social consequences. For this reason, as of June 2007, the United States Government has allocated $6.3 billion in emergency funding to address the threat of avian and pandemic influenza domestically and internationally.

The United States is working with countries and international organizations to prepare for and respond to this challenge. President Bush announced the International Partnership on Avian and Pandemic Influenza during the United Nations General Assembly in September 2005. The goals of the International Partnership include:

• Elevating the avian influenza issue on national agendas;
• Coordinating efforts among donor and affected nations;
• Mobilizing and leveraging resources;
• Increasing transparency in disease reporting and improvingsurveillance; and
• Building local capacity to identify, contain and respond to aninfluenza pandemic.

The International Partnership first met in Washington, DC, in October 2005. Representatives of 93 countries and 20 international organizations met in Vienna, Austria, in June 2006. The third meeting in New Delhi, India in December 2007 will review accomplishments and outline goals for the future.

As of December 2006, the United States had pledged $434 million to support international efforts focused in three areas: preparedness and communication, surveillance and detection, and response and containment. The United States is working to strengthen international organizations' capacity to address the threat in more than 100 nations and jurisdictions.

PREPAREDNESS AND COMMUNICATION

The United States is supporting preparedness efforts in more than 67 countries in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), and other international and in-country partners.

The United States Departments of Agriculture (USDA), Health and Human Services (HHS) -- including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (HHS/CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NI H) -- Interior (DOI), Defense (DOD) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) contribute to the U.S. international engagement. The United States has deployed scientists, veterinarians, public health experts, physicians and emergency response teams to affected and high-risk countries to assist in the development and implementation of emergency preparedness plans and procedures for the response to avian and pandemic influenza.

Through the Security and Prosperity Partnership, the United States, Canada and Mexico have developed a comprehensive North American Plan for Avian and Pandemic Influenza. The United States also works through the Global Health Security Initiative and international organizations, such as the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, and regional forums, like the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.

The United States is supporting activities in more than 50 countries through HHS/CDC, USDA, USAID and the U.S. Department of State (DOS) to generate public awareness about avian influenza and to promote behaviors that reduce the risk of disease transmission.

The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) has worked with USAID and DOS to enhance extensive BBG radio, television and internet coverage of international avian influenza outbreaks and responses. BBG's International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB) has provided specialized journalist training with USAID, DOS, HHS/CDC and WHO.

SURVEILLANCE AND DETECTION

The United States is supporting the expansion of animal and human disease surveillance systems. This includes building capacity for detection and laboratory diagnosis by strengthening early-warning networks in 75 countries and jurisdictions that will upgrade and improve laboratories and sample collection and shipping and ensure faster confirmation of the presence and nature of influenza viruses.

The United States also collaborates through the influenza Genome Sequencing Project to increase the genome knowledge base of influenza in order to further the development of new influenza vaccines and drugs. Genome sequences of more than 2,700 influenza isolates have been made publicly available by HHS/NIH since 2004.

HHS/CDC and USAID have provided funds to strengthen WHO's Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN) for surveillance and response worldwide and established a fund to ship specimens promptly to reference laboratories for further diagnosis and confirmation. HHS/CDC has also committed $26.8 million toward the development of Global Disease Detection (GDD) avian and pandemic influenza efforts in China, Egypt, Guatemala, Kenya and Thailand. HHS has provided $1 million to expand Institut Pasteur's influenza laboratory and diagnostic work in critical regions. The HHS/NIH Pandemic Preparedness in Asia contract has supported animal surveillance in wild birds, live bird markets and pigs in Southeast Asia since 1999.

USAID and HHS/CDC launched the Global Avian Influenza Network for Surveillance (GAINS) project in 2006 to make more scientific information available for detection and containment, track genetic changes in virus isolates and share information. The project is being implemented in coordination with USDA and the U.S. Geological Survey. DOD has enhanced its Global Emerging Infections Surveillance and Response System (DOD-GEIS). The United States, Canada and Mexico are coordinating surveillance for the early detection of HPAI in wild birds of North America through the Trilateral Committee for Wildlife and Ecosystem Conservation and Management.

USDA has trained more than 490 veterinarians and diagnosticians from 96 affected and high-risk countries in veterinary epidemiology and avian influenza diagnostic protocols for surveillance and control measures for confirmed cases. USDA has deployed specialists and provided testing equipment and materials to priority countries to strengthen diagnostic laboratory capacities further.

RESPONSE AND CONTAINMENT

In cooperation with FAO and OIE , the United States is providing substantial assistance for avian influenza response activities in 39 of 60 affected countries and jurisdictions. U.S. experts have assisted WHO and ministries of health to investigate suspected human cases of H5N1 and determine whether they have pandemic potential. USAID and international NGO's are planning for humanitarian response in the event of a pandemic.

With WHO and FAO, the United States is providing training for thousands of policy and technical experts globally who will lead efforts to contain and mitigate the impact of animal outbreaks. USDA and USAID have assisted countries to strengthen and implement their national response plans, and USAID has supported testing of plans through imulations. The U.S. has supported training of more than 129,000 animal health workers and 17,000 human health workers in surveillance and response.

Since January 2006, USAID has deployed nearly 400,000 personal protective equipment (PPE) kits to 78 countries for surveillance workers and outbreak response teams. USAID has prepositioned PPE , decontamination and laboratory kits in 20 countries and has provided PPE's, equipment, and supplies to HHS and USDA operations, FAO, the Pan American Health Organization and agriculture and health ministries. A stockpile of antiviral medications has been positioned in Asia for potential use in a pandemic.

USAID and USDA have provided expertise and funding for the FAO-OIE Crisis Management Center (CMC) to facilitate rapid response to avian influenza animal outbreaks worldwide. These efforts are integrated with human surveillance efforts in coordination with WHO. HHS/CDC has supported regional public health response training and rapid response teams. Through the CMC, USDA has deployed specialists on rapid response missions to Bangladesh, Ivory Coast and Sudan. USDA has also hosted training for 50 volunteers with expertise in epidemiology, biosecurity, surveillance and detection from more than fifteen countries for CMC deployment. USAID has supported CMC rapid response deployments in Africa and South Asia. DOD is providing military-to-military training and exercises, and is assisting other countries in developing military preparedness and response plans.

UNITED STATES PLEDGES

The U.S. cash pledge of $334 million was the largest among bilateral donors at the Beijing conference in January 2006, where the global community pledged more than $1.8 billion to combat avian and pandemic influenza worldwide. By December 2006, the U.S. pledge had been increased to $434 million for overseas programs to:

• Facilitate development and implementation of national plans;
• Support development of disease surveillance and laboratory capacity;
• Stockpile PPE and emergency health commodities;
• Conduct communications campaigns and public outreach activities;
• Train responders to animal and human outbreaks; and
• Improve national response capacity.

Of the total U.S. contribution:

• $152.5 million is allocated to bilateral activities;
• Over $65 million supports regional programs, including disease detection sites;
• Over $44.5 million supports international organizations, including $10 million for building human vaccine production capacity;
• Over $66.6 million is to be used for stockpiles of nonpharmaceutical supplies;
• More than $48 million is devoted to global funding for HHS country and regional cooperative agreements;
• Almost $36 million is allocated for international technical and humanitarian assistance and international coordination;
• Over $11 million is designated for wild bird surveillance and international research (including vaccines and modeling of influenza outbreaks); and
• More than $9 million is dedicated to global communications and outreach.

Further information is available at www.pandemicflu.gov, www.state.gov/g/avianflu, www.usda.gov, www.hhs.gov, www.cdc.gov and www.usaid.gov

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