INDONESIA: U.S. Health Secretary Mike Leavitt visits Indonesia to get first-hand information on bird flu

Record ID: 859318

  • Title: INDONESIA: U.S. Health Secretary Mike Leavitt visits Indonesia to get first-hand information on bird flu
  • Date: 17th October 2005
  • Summary: U.S. HEALTH SECRETARY MIKE LEAVITT WALKING WITH INDONESIA'S CO-ORDINATING MINISTER FOR PEOPLE'S WELFARE, ALWI SHIHAB LEAVITT SHAKING HANDS WITH SHIHAB AFTER PLEDGING OF AID JOURNALISTS VARIOUS OF MEETING BETWEEN U.S. AND INDONESIAN OFFICIALS (2 SHOTS) CAMERA OPERATORS WIDE VIEW OF MEETING LEAVITT AND DELEGATION (2 SHOTS) INDONESIAN DELEGATION WIDE SHOT OF MEETING
  • Embargoed: 1st November 2005 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Indonesia
  • City:
  • Country: Indonesia
  • Topics: Health
  • Reuters ID: LVAU610T969REIX9QQ3Z9N7RFCU
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: The U.S. Health Secretary Mike Leavitt visited Indonesia on Monday (October 17) on the last leg of his tour of bird-flu hit Southeast Asia.
    The top U.S. health official met Indonesian officials to discuss ways to contain bird flu outbreaks amid the threat of a pandemic if the virus succeeded in mutating into a more easily transmittable strain between humans. Leavitt has warned that recent outbreaks in Turkey and Romania underscored the need for urgent action against bird flu which appeared to be spreading through migratory birds. European countries tightened border controls on poultry and poultry products last week after tests confirmed a bird flu outbreak in Turkey was H5N1, the same virus which has killed more than 60 people in Asia since 2003. Experts suspect migratory birds, usually wildfowl which are silent carriers of the virus, may have carried the disease to Europe along their natural migratory routes.
    The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that the chances of human cases had increased with the virus' spread into new areas and it urged intensified surveillance of flocks and humans. The organisation also said on Monday it was concerned that European countries facing the spread of bird flu would divert funding and attention away from Southeast Asia, the most likely epicentre of a human pandemic. No human cases have been reported in Europe.
    Accompanied by top U.S. health experts on the fact-finding mission to Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and Indonesia, Leavitt reiterated to each government the United States' pledge of $25 million to the region for training, supplies, lab equipment, village-based surveillance systems and public education. "They will help us in laboratory improvements, surveillance, improving capacity of hospitals and many other aspects. Indonesia is currently the only place where there are people suffering this disease. In Vietnam and other places human cases no longer exist," said Indonesia's Health Minister Siti Fadillah Supari. There have been five confirmed cases in humans in Indonesia of the H5N1 strain since July, comprising three deaths and two people being treated.
    Some health experts worry Indonesia is not showing enough urgency in tackling bird flu. There has been virtually no mass culling of chickens, while officials note that countries such as Vietnam have had more deaths. The virus has been found in poultry in 22 provinces out of 33 in Indonesia's sprawling archipelago, killing more than 10 million domesticated birds. The WHO said last week it needed $260 million from the international community to fight the spread of bird flu in Asia. ce
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