Australia to lead APEC pandemic response exercise Senior officials from relevant agencies around the region will make real-time decisions based on a hypothetical scenario. From their usual work places, they will share information and communicate as they would in a real pandemic situation – but there will be no field operations associated with the Exercise. The exercise –‘APEC Pandemic Response Exercise 2006’ – is a key initiative under the APEC Action Agenda endorsed by the APEC leaders last year and part of Australia’s $100 million regional assistance package over four years to combat the threat of pandemics and other emerging infectious diseases within the region. The exercise will involve emergency management, health and Government officials from all APEC economies and several international observers, including the World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). All 21 members of APEC have committed to participate with Chile , China , Indonesia , Japan , Korea , Malaysia , Chinese Taipei and Viet Nam taking an active role in the scenario as ‘primary’ participants. Other APEC members – Brunei , Canada , Hong Kong China , Mexico , Papua New Guinea , Peru , the Philippines , New Zealand , Russia , Singapore , Thailand and the US have a less hands-on role, but will share in the information learned from the exercise. Singapore is a co-facilitator of the exercise and will host a ‘Lessons Learned’ workshop for participants and observers in August. Australia will also hold a major domestic exercise – Exercise Cumpston – in October to test domestic arrangements for responding to a pandemic.
•Date: 5th June 2006• Region: A.Pacific / Austr • Type: Article •Topic: Pandemic plan |
