ALive has appointed an expert to facilate and coordinate the preparation of the Bamako Conference on AHI

Following the ALive Executive Committee's decision (July 10, 2006), ALive will finance an expert who will be positionned at IBAR headquarters from October 11 to December 8, 2006 to facilitate and coordinate the preparation of the fourth International Conference on Avian and Human Influenza to be held in Bamako on December 6-8, 2006. The appointed expert is Dr Faouzi Kechrid, who is currently the vice-president of the World Organization of Veterinarians. Please contact Dr. Kechrid (faouzikechrid@yahoo.fr) for any information you may need on the forthcoming conference.

• Evaluation des besoins à couvrir en Afrique sub-Saharienne (à traduire)

US$722 million needed to fill the immediate & short term gaps in Africa

The multi-institutional and intersectoral ALive Task-Force, composed of experts from IBAR, FAO, OIE, WHO and UNICEF, has produced a Paper on the Needs and Gaps for Africawith regards to the prevention and control of avian and human influenza on the continent. The immediate and short term gaps ( gaps = needs - already available funds; short term = up to 3 years)amount to approx US$ 720 million and confirm the initial assessment that was made for the Vienna International Conference in June 2006. The process for the elaboration of the Paper was consultativeand participative. The Paper draws on national, sub-regional and regional data directly collected from the local stakeholders (mainly from the Integrated Country Plans when available) during an ALive mission, which visited the 6 African Regional Economic Communities (CEDEAO, CEMAC, IGAD, SADC, UEMOA and UMA). Two sub-regional consultations were organized in Nairobi (November 10, 2006) and Ouagadougou (November 13, 2006) for the African stakeholders to review and endorsed the data. Finally, the Paper was circulated on the ALive Platform for its technical and financial review.  Everybody was very supportive of the approach that was followed. The joint effort of the 5 International Agencies - as well as the partners of the ALive Platform - in the preparation of a document relating to the prevention and control of an animal disease - potentially communicable to humans - is unprecedented. For more information, please read the Needs and Gaps for Africa Paper, available hereafter, which presents i) the epidemiological situation of HPAI in Africa – socio-economic impacts; ii) the strengths, weaknesses and opportunities in Africa for the prevention and control of avian and human influenza; iii) a stock-taking of current interventions in Africa – best practices and lessons learned; iv) a strategy tailored to Africa for the prevention and control of avian and human influenza: v) the assessment of the needs and gaps and vi) the financing of HPAI prevention and control, human influenza pandemic preparedness and effective AHI communication programs. The Paper is intended to suport the technical and financial discussions on Africa during the Bamako International Conference on AHI. Avian Influenza Prevention and Control and Human Influenza Pandemic Preparedness in Africa : Assessment of Financial Needs and Gaps List of participants in the Nairobi  (November 10, 2006) and Ouagadougou (November 13, 2006) consultations.