APEC Avian Influenza Workshop Finds Common Ground

A one and a half day workshop in Singapore, co-sponsored by Singapore and Australia, concluded on 15 August 2006 with participants from APEC economies welcoming the chance to share information and experience on the dangers posed by avian influenza. International organisations such as the UN and WHO as well as observer participants from Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar also attended the workshop.

The workshop was held as a debriefing session on the APEC pandemic simulation exercise which was staged in June to strengthen communication in the event of a human influenza pandemic within the APEC region.

Participants in the workshop agreed that the exercise was a significant event in APEC's contribution in the fight against avian influenza and a clear sign that APEC economies are taking concrete steps towards prevention and preparedness. The workshop also evaluated a survey of health and emergency officials involved in the exercise.

In his key note address, Colin Heseltine, Deputy Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat, noted that "APEC is involved in dealing with the potential of an avian influenza pandemic because it poses a threat to the very goals and objectives that APEC strives to attain."

"Importantly, for future co-operation and community building among APEC economies, this pandemic response exercise clearly has greater implications than the initial task at hand to prepare APEC Member Economies for an avian influenza pandemic," he said.

A report on the exercise is now being prepared and will be submitted to APEC Ministers at their annual meeting to be held in Hanoi, Viet Nam in November.