APEC's Response to the Threat of Pandemic Influenza
For the purposes of the 'APEC Pandemic Response Exercise 2006', the new 'Malacca Straits Flu' was suspected in some fishermen, whose boat subsequently capsized and who were rescued by a passing passenger cruise ship. This led to a hypothetical 'outbreak' of pandemic proportions within the APEC region.
The exercise was part of a concerted program which has seen APEC emerge as a major driver behind regional efforts to prepare for and respond to the threat of avian and pandemic influenza across the Asia-Pacific region. This was the first time that all 21 APEC economies had cooperated in such a complex and major emergency preparedness exercise.
The scenario successfully achieved the goal of testing communication responses within APEC. It lasted 26 hours across eight time zones and involved more than 100 officials in 21 economies. More than 500 messages were dispatched between the participating economies, involving language translations in Chinese, Vietnamese and Spanish.
Senior officials from relevant agencies in each of the economies made critical decisions based on 'real' developments, communicating through the National Emergency Management Coordination Centre of Emergency Management Australia in Canberra. The exercise attracted realistic and credible responses from participating economies which were able to activate quickly and communicate their national preparedness plans.
The main objectives of the exercise were to test emergency responses and communication channels among APEC member economies, in particular their effectiveness in sharing information and providing regional assistance and providing advice to bordering economies and other regional partners.
The exercise outcomes will provide direction for future work to help build the region's preparedness and response capability. APEC's efforts in preparing for the event of a pandemic influenza are designed to enhance the work of international and regional organizations such as the World Health Organization.
APEC's ongoing work on avian influenza focuses on providing technical assistance and helping member economies already affected by an avian influenza outbreak. Additionally, it has undertaken to establish a regional register of experts who have specialist skills in human and animal health disaster response.
In October last year, Australia organized the APEC Avian Influenza Preparedness and Response Meeting in Brisbane which galvanized APEC's political commitment to addressing the threat of a regional pandemic. Soon afterward, APEC's Economic Leaders' met in Busan and endorsed the APEC Initiative on Preparing for and Mitigating an Influenza Pandemic, which committed member economies to maintaining effective surveillance, transparency and openness, as well as close coordination and collaboration.
Australian Prime Minister John Howard committed Australia to funding and managing the APEC Pandemic Response exercise as part of a A$100 million regional assistance package over four years to combat the threat of pandemics and other emerging infectious diseases within the region.
A 'Lessons Learned' workshop hosted by Singapore will be the next phase of APEC's preparations to deal with a potential pandemic. A final report and recommendations for future arrangements will then be submitted to APEC Ministers and Leaders in November 2006.