Ambassador John Lange, Special Representative on Avian and Pandemic Influenza, US Department of State, speaks at the Inter- American Luncheon Series in Washington, DC

Ambassador John Lange, Special Representative on Avian and Pandemic Influenza, US Department of State served as key speaker for the event.

Before members of local businesses, government officials and diplomatic community, Lange described the US government’s international efforts to fight avian and pandemic influenza as laid out in the National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza, and specifically what the US is doing bilaterally and multilaterally to fight avian influenza.

According to Lange, a great deal of support is currently being allocated to international agencies.  Through USAID, the US Department of State is providing approximately $2 million for Latin America and the Caribbean to support various regional efforts. 

He said, “Through our Department of Health and Human Services and its Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, we have provided technical assistance to ministries of health to improve diagnostic and laboratory capacity and improve surveillance; to a regional approach for Central America based in Guatemala; to other targeted investments with longstanding scientific leaders in the region, such as the Gorgas Memorial Institute in Panama; and to a soon-to-be-announced offer of bilateral and technical assistance to Ministries of Health that will include selected Latin American Countries.”

Also emphasised and of critical importance, is the work being done by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to train and otherwise assist national officials in preparedness and outbreak response, as well as on communication strategies. 

Urging all governments to continue their preparedness efforts, Lange highlighted IICA initiatives in agriculture and veterinary services. 

One such joint venture is the Performance and Strategy (PVS) for National Veterinary Services which was created by the IICA and the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). 

This instrument was designed to assist national veterinary services establish their current level of performance, form a shared vision with the private sector, establish priorities and facilitate strategic planning in order to take full advantage of the new opportunities and obligations of globalization.

Recognizing that US efforts abroad are key elements of the, National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza, the US Department of State established a new Avian Influenza Action Group currently headed by Ambassador Lange.  The group is responsible for specific actions that include helping nations to identify, contain and control outbreaks among animals and, if mutation occurs, a human pandemic. 

The action group works closely with the US Department of Health and Human Services, Agriculture, Homeland Security, Defense and other departments as well as the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

For general information on Avian and Pandemic Influenza, go to: http://www.pandemicflu.gov

For additional information on the Implementation Plan, go to: http://www.whitehouse.gov/homeland/pandemic-influenza-implementation.html

The monthly Inter-American Luncheon Series is sponsored by The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), Caribbean Central American Action (CCAA) and the Inter-American Council (IAC).