Cablegate: Indonesia - October 27 Avian Influenza Update

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PP RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #1977/01 3010828
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 270828Z OCT 08
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0417
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
INFO RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUEAWJB/DOJ WASHDC
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 7835

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 001977

SIPDIS
UNCLASSIFIED

DEPT FOR EAP/MTS, G/AIAG, L/DL, EAP/EX, AND OES/IHA
USAID FOR ANE/CLEMENTS AND GH/CARROLL
DEPT ALSO PASS TO HHS/WSTEIGER/MSTLOUIS AND HHS/NIH
DEPT ALSO PASS TO DOJ for OFL
GENEVA FOR WHO/HOHMAN
USDA/FAS/OSTA BRANT, ROSENBLUM
USDA/APHIS ANNELLI

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO EAGR AMGT PGOV ID KLIG
SUBJECT: INDONESIA - OCTOBER 27 AVIAN INFLUENZA UPDATE

1. (SBU) Summary. French embassy officials reported that in a series
of avian influenza (AI) related meetings, Government of Indonesia
(GOI)officials told them that the AI situation in Indonesia is
improving and that the sample sharing impasse will likely end soon.
U.S. government efforts to contribute to avian influenza control
intensify through USAID, APHIS, CDC and Regional Emerging Diseases
Investigation (REDI) center efforts to train and help in pandemic
preparedness. Minister of Health Siti Fadilah Supari continues to
attract press, including stories on her upcoming books about avian
influenza and HIV/AIDs as well as her trip to Papua to investigate
allegations that the French are spreading cholera. For a second
year in a row, Globe Asia cited Minister of Health Siti Fadilah
Supari as one of Indonesia's 99 Most Powerful Women. End Summary.

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French Develop AI Fact-Finding Report
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2. (SBU) A senior French official told us that during a series of
meetings in late September and early October, Indonesian officials
from the Ministry of Health and Agriculture reported that Indonesia
has made substantial gains in controlling avian influenza through
better training of workers, biosecurity improvement and increased
public awareness. During his meeting with Bayu Krisnamurthi, Chief
Executive Officer of the National Committee for Avian Influenza and
Pandemic Control (KOMNAS), the French official noted that Bayu
expressed optimism that the sample sharing impasse would end soon
given successful bilateral negotiations between the Indonesian and
United States that were facilitated by Australia. Bayu hoped that
the sample sharing impasse will end once the Intergovernmental
Meetings in Geneva are completed. The French Embassy is conducting
these meetings to develop an Indonesian Avian Influenza fact finding
report that the French will present to European Union countries

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USG Programs Coordinate Donors; Focus on Training and Pandemic
Preparedness
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3. (SBU) USAID is working with key GOI partners from the Ministries
of Health and Agriculture, KOMNAS, and with implementing partners
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Health Organization
(WHO), Development Alternatives Inc., International Livestock
Research Institute, and John Snow International to develop
coordinated work plans for FY08. Joint plans include geographic
focusing on the western half of Java and expanding program
activities to include interventions in commercial poultry production
and the market chain.

4. (SBU) During the week of October 20, Ron Waldman, USAID/W team
leader for humanitarian pandemic preparedness and response visited
Indonesia with representatives from the International Federation of
the Red Cross (IFRC) to initiate discussions with the GOI, local Red
Cross society (PMI) and United Nations agencies for phase 6 pandemic
preparedness planning and response. USAID/W is funding a $35
million three year grant to the United Nations and a $30 million
three year grant to the IFRC for activities in more than 20
countries.

5. (SBU) In an effort to improve Indonesia's early warning disease
surveillance system, CDC is working together with the Ministry of
Health and WHO on a pilot Early Warning and Response Surveillance
(EWARS), designed to pick up key diseases such as AI at the district
level. EWARs will begin in November. CDC, the REDI Center, and the
National Institute of Health Research and Development (NIHRD) plan
to track poultry infections in wet markets, abattoirs, and collector
yards and measure the impact on poultry workers. On the animal
side, CDC is supporting Colorado State University with improving
Bogor Veterinary School's animal sample testing protocols as part of
their work studying AI disease patterns in ducks.
6. (SBU) CDC is planning to collaborate with MOH, WHO, Embassy of
Japan on a second epicenter containment exercise during February
2009 in Makassar, Sulawesi. This simulation includes testing
revised operational plans based on lessons learned from the Bali
exercise. Planners have already started training of participants
representing multiple agencies and ministries throughout Indonesia.

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APHIS PROMOTES BIOSECURITY
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7. (SBU) In response to a request from the Indonesian Poultry
Industry, APHIS is assisting the Indonesian Animal Health Authority
with training auditors to conduct biosecurity assessments of
commercial poultry farms. APHIS has already held three workshops
regarding biosecurity and industry-government cooperation. The
Indonesian Poultry Industry hopes to establish biosecurity standards
to control poultry disease within its commercial poultry sector
similar to USDA's domestic National Poultry Improvement Plan.

8. (SBU) APHIS also reports that officials have completed a baseline
survey of human and animal health avian influenza risk factors for
Tangerang. The Tangerang Project Secretariat plans to present the
survey results at a workshop in late November. Additional Tangerang
project plans include implementing biosecurity measures such as
perimeter control in specific poultry slaughter facilities, markets,
and poultry producer farms related to slaughter facilities.

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REDI CENTRE UPDATE
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9. (SBU) In September 2008, the REDI Centre, WHO, and the MOH
Directorate of Medical Care Services developed a work plan to update
AI care and treatment guidelines based on latest published data as
well as clinical data from Indonesian AI cases. The MOH plans to
use the revised guidelines, available in early 2009, to optimize
current care and treatment of AI patients. In October 2008, REDI
began collaborating with WHO-Jakarta to develop a training program
to ensure that key AI referral hospitals deliver high level critical
care services. The REDI Centre plans to support RS Sulianti Saroso,
the national infectious disease hospital located in Jakarta, in
developing and implementing their hospital pandemic preparedness
plan.

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Supari in the Press: Books, Cholera and Power
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10. (U) On October 24, the Indonesian newspaper Republica reported
that Minister Supari plans to release two new books. Her next book
will describe the reactions to her first book "It's Time for the
World to Change" and will include discussion on other issues such as
NAMRU-2, fuel demonstrations and disease outbreaks. Supari plans to
release a third book describing the health problems in Papua,
including HIV/AIDS, maternal health and infant mortality.

11. (SBU) Detiknews featured a story on October 18 noting that
Supari was visiting a "French-run" gold mine in Papua to investigate
allegations that the French were spreading cholera to clear village
of inhabitants so that company can expand mining operations.
Without explicitly endorsing the allegations, Supari noted her main
purpose for the visit was to discover the foreign role in the
outbreak. (The French Embassy later told us the French company
named in the article had actually sold off all mining interests over
four years ago to an American company.)

12. (U) In its October 2008 issue, GlobeAsia (a monthly Indonesian
business magazine) ranked Minister of Health Supari as the 16th most
powerful woman in Indonesia, which is the same ranking from last
year's issue. According to the magazine, "Health Minister Siti
Fadilah has won international acclaim and received her share of
criticism over her efforts in tackling the spread of avian influenza
in Indonesia. Last year Siti and the government stopped sharing
bird flu samples with developed nations until Indonesia received
fairer access to medicines produced from them. The move drew a
strong reaction from the US and the World Health Organization (WHO)
but talks are now reaching a close on a new system for international
sample sharing."

HUME

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