Pandemic Preparedness: Information Systems and Health Services Capacity-Building

This is a summary of the speech by Ambassador John E. Lange, Special Representative on Avian and Pandemic Influenza, United States (US) Department of State, at the International Conference on Avian Influenza in December 2006.

In his speech, the Ambassador reviews the progress that the US government has made on the international action-items in the Implementation Plan of the US National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza. Specifically, he identifies progress along its 3 pillars: Preparedness and Communication, Surveillance and Detection, and Response and Containment. The Ambassador refers to the central message of the US Government’s public affairs plan for international engagement on avian and pandemic influenza, a message that purports the importance of improving cooperation on avian and pandemic influenza between health and agriculture ministries.

According to Ambassador Lange, the Implementation Plan of the US National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza envisages the following policies and actions for US public diplomacy and public-health specialists to explain and advocate:

• Emphasising the importance of international cooperation and efforts complementary to those of multilateral organisations to contain the spread of the virus;
• Elevating pandemic influenza on national agendas, stressing the role of committed high-level political leadership in containment efforts;
• Advocating transparency in surveillance and reporting of suspected animal and human cases;
• Encouraging the sharing of epidemiological data and samples with the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and the world community to detect and track outbreaks;
• Assisting others to develop pandemic preparedness plans, build public and animal health capacity, strengthen communications infrastructures, increase logistical capability, and prepare to take effective countermeasures;
• Mobilising and coordinating global resources; and
• Enhancing public awareness and knowledge of protective measures.

In his speech Ambassador Lange outlines some of the ways that the US government is aiding in the fight against the spread of bird flu. In the area of animal health, the US (through the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Agency for International Development (USAID)) has provided expertise, funding and training to support disease surveillance and control measures on a national and international level. In Indonesia, USAID, through FAO, is developing participatory disease surveillance and response teams on the island of Java. This project will send teams of veterinarians door-to-door to track outbreaks of avian flu. On a global scale, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is providing funding to the Global Outbreak and Response Network (GOARN) to support surveillance and response in nations worldwide.

The Ambassador concludes his speech by saying that “Preparedness and long-term capacity building requires collaboration on the international, regional, national, and community levels. As this conference demonstrates, global cooperation is essential to global success.”