APEC Health Task Force Symposium on Avian Influenza and Preparedness for a Human Health Emergency in San Francisco July 28-29

More than 100 officials from 21 APEC economies will meet in San Francisco, California, July 28-29, to discuss how to build the capacity and marshal the resources to control Avian Influenza and to respond to any related human health emergency.

The United States is sponsoring the APEC Health Task Force Symposium on Response to Outbreaks of Avian Influenza (AI) and Preparedness for a Human Health Emergency along with APEC Member Economies Hong Kong and Chinese Taipei.

U.S. Department of Agriculture Deputy Under Secretary Dr. Chuck Lambert and APEC Health Task Force Chair Dr. Amar Bhat, Office of Global Health Affairs, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will open the conference.

The symposium will explore how AI can affect agriculture, human health, finance and trade in the APEC region, and provide an opportunity for Member Economy representatives to discuss domestic policies that might ease those effects.

Participants will also identify resources needed to address AI; learn about the work of international standard-setting bodies and international organizations; and discuss barriers to controlling animal and human disease.

They will review international recommendations on AI and pandemic influenza preparedness to identify what would work in the APEC economies and analyze their capacity to implement those recommendations.

The symposium is expected to result in proposals for marshalling resources to respond to AI and the risks of a human health emergency, including action plans on a sector-by-sector and economy-by-economy basis.

Participants will include government and private sector policy makers in the agriculture, human health, trade and foreign affairs sectors. In addition to the 21 APEC economies, representatives from Cambodia, Laos and international organizations are expected to attend.