Global Conference On Avian And Pandemic Influenza

Media Note
Office of the Spokesman
Washington, DC

Global Conference to Focus on Avian and Pandemic Influenza, December 4-6

Ambassador John E. Lange, Special Representative on Avian and Pandemic Influenza at the Department of State, will lead the U.S. delegation at a ministerial-level international conference in New Delhi December 4-6, 2007, to assess efforts to confront the threat from the spread of avian influenza, and to prepare for a possible human pandemic.

The conference is being hosted by the Government of India in conjunction with the International Partnership on Avian and Pandemic Influenza, and aims to increase assistance to countries facing the social and economic consequences of widespread poultry losses and a potentially catastrophic influenza pandemic. The conference also will discuss plans to build global capacity to deal with threats posed by the avian influenza virus, as well as other emerging infectious diseases.

The U.S. delegation will include senior representatives of the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Defense, and the U.S. Agency for International Development. All of these departments and agencies have been actively engaged internationally through the U.S. National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza.

President George W. Bush launched the International Partnership on Avian and Pandemic Influenza in September 2005 and the first major international conference took place in Washington, DC, the following month. Other major conferences on the subject have been held in Beijing, China (January 2006), Vienna, Austria (June 2006), and Bamako, Mali (December 2006).

For further information on the U.S. international engagement on avian and pandemic influenza, see http://www.state.gov/g/avianflu/ and www.pandemicflu.gov.

2007/1079
Released on December 3, 2007

ENDS

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