Australian Experts to Assist Indonesia Combat Avian Influenza

I am pleased to announce that a high level team of senior policy advisers and technical specialists, led by the AusAID Director-General, will be deployed to Indonesia this week to explore how Australia can best continue supporting local efforts to address Avian Influenza.

The team, drawn from a number of Commonwealth Government departments, is expected to meet with the Indonesian Ministers for Health and Agriculture, relevant Indonesian Government officials and senior personnel from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

These experts will work to make an assessment of the Avian Influenza threat, convey Australia's concern and agree on specific areas of further Australian assistance. This assistance is likely to include the further strengthening of laboratory capacity, public awareness campaigns and contingency planning.

This assistance will be in addition to the purchase of 50,000 courses of the anti-viral medication, Tamiflu, which I announced last week and an earlier package of support delivered through WHO's Jakarta's Office.

To date, Australia's $5.55 million in support to the Indonesian Government under the aid program has been used to:

Purchase and distribute anti-viral medicines to referral hospitals;
Reactivate the hospital and surveillance networks established during the SARS outbreak of 2003;
Train laboratory staff in the diagnosis of the Avian Influenza virus;
Provide equipment to laboratories; and
Develop manuals on Avian Influenza in Indonesian.

Australian-funded Tamiflu supplies are arriving in Jakarta this week and will be distributed to 44 Indonesian Avian Influenza referral hospitals.

This Australian mission to Indonesia demonstrates the Australian Government's commitment to taking an increasingly active leadership role in responding to the threat of Avian Influenza in the region.

Media inquiries : Ministerial 02 6277 7500 , DFAT Media Liaison 02 6261 1555