Speeches
Remarks by U.S. Economic/Commercial Chief
Vincent D. Spera
Fifth National Influenza Workshop
October 7, 2009
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Thank you for the introduction.
Mr. Amgalanbayar, State Secretary Khurelbaatar, Ms. Altantsetseg, Dr. Rojanapithayakorn, distinguished guests and participants – on behalf of the United States Embassy in Ulaanbaatar, thank you for the invitation to participate in this fifth annual National Influenza Workshop. The U.S. actively works on these issues globally, as well as with and in support of the ongoing efforts of international organizations in the fight against influenza, and so we are encouraged to see how successful and widely attended this event has become.
I would like to thank the National Emergency Management Agency for the invitation and congratulate you on the successful organization of this important meeting. The Embassy has been involved in the annual National Influenza Workshop since it began in 2005, and I am honored to represent the Embassy and U.S. government this year.
The United States is also very pleased to continue its cooperation with Mongolia's National Center for Communicable Diseases in order to monitor and fight influenza in Mongolia. We were very happy to work with the Center during previous Influenza Workshops, and are delighted that the conference has now grown into a national level forum, which we believe is in part a testament to the success of the our joint project.
The United States began working on this issue with the Center and the Ministry of Health in 2004. Through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, we funded start-up costs for Mongolia’s Influenza Surveillance Network, with this start-up funding expiring this year. By any measure, the project has been a huge success, resulting in more than 70 influenza surveillance centers across the country, and more than 200 trained doctors and professionals. The U.S. is now providing additional support to focus on the sustainability of the project. Although we do hope the government of Mongolia will support the program moving forward, we remain committed to working closely with you and other partners to continue to fight against influenza.
Our concern with influenza spans the full range of the virus -- avian influenza, seasonal influenza, and of course now the H1N1 influenza, first identified in March 2009. As you all know, its subsequent worldwide spread led the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare this outbreak a pandemic.
While the virus can cause severe and fatal illness, we believe it is important to remember that the overwhelming majority of 2009 H1N1 infections continue to cause only mild illness. In addition it remains responsive to treatment and antiviral drugs.
We do realize, however, that this virus is new, and that a large number of people may become ill this flu season. If the 2009-2010 fall/winter outbreak is wider than the spring/summer outbreak earlier this year, communication, coordination, and response management among all partners will become even more important. That is why meetings such as this one are so important, because they provide a crucial forum for establish important relationships and continuing the response and planning process.
Beyond H1N1 planning and readiness, the U.S. government also works on influenza-related issues with and through multinational and international organizations. For example, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Oceans, Environment, and Science maintains an Avian Influenza Action Group, and also coordinates with multiple U.S. agencies and organizations to monitor, prevent, respond to, and control the spread of the disease. The U.S.-established website www.flu.gov is also an important central resource for coordinating and maintaining the most up-to-date information on influenza in all its forms, as well as other influenza-related issues.
As we have shared in this forum previously, we all know by now that no one country or organization can fight influenza alone. By bringing together researchers, practitioners, responders, and others, the next two days will help to encourage the all-so-important collaboration and common action we need to succeed in fighting influenza.
I wish you every success with this year’s event, and I look forward to working with you on this important issue during my time in Mongolia.