SPEECH BY CHARGE D’AFFAIRS AD INTERIM GOLDBECK
TO THE SECOND NATIONAL INFLUENZA WORKSHOP,
OCTOBER 4-6, 2006, ULAANBAATAR, MONGOLIA

Vice Minister Otgonbold, Dr. Oyunchimeg, Mr. Hagan, Mr. Mazumder, and distinguished guests: 

It is an honor to be able to address this, the Second National Influenza Workshop in Mongolia.  While your topic is a medical and scientific one, it is a subject of vital interest to the whole world -- and it is an issue to which my government, from the President on down, is paying considerable attention.

In the modern world, disease control requires international cooperation.  Therefore, as part of our overall "comprehensive partnership," we are pleased to have active, productive cooperation with Mongolia to address the health threats posed by influenza.  In doing this, we work closely not only with Mongolia but also with other external donors.

As many of you already know, the US Government, through the Centers for Disease Control, has contributed almost $1.3 million to the development of an Influenza Surveillance Network in Mongolia.  

At the same time, several US Government agencies have made addressing the threat posed by Avian Influenza - both in Mongolia and worldwide - a top priority.  

To this end, we have worked to raise the capacity of our Government of Mongolia counterparts by supporting training in veterinary epidemiology, animal disease diagnostics, and pandemic response.  We are helping to fund an expert from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to work with our Mongolian and external donor partners to develop and implement an Avian Influenza Pandemic Preparedness Plan.  Through another partner, the Wildlife Conservation Society, we are working closely with counterparts in the Mongolian Academy of Sciences and the State Central Veterinary Laboratory to increase surveillance of wild birds in Mongolia.  

We look forward to continued cooperation with Mongolia to assess the threats posed by human and avian influenza.Your conference offers a timely opportunity to assess the current situation and the way forward.  I wish you every success. 

Thank you.