Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2006. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
USIS Washington File - July 18, 2006
The avian influenza pandemic among birds that emerged in late 2003 and the threat it poses of turning into a human influenza pandemic have brought an increased focus on surveillance and monitoring of infectious diseases in a series of international meetings over the last year.
The G8 leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United States and the United Kingdom echo the importance of that goal in a document adopted July 16 at the G8 summit in St. Petersburg, Russia, and further emphasize the need for building laboratory capacity and intensifying scientific research and exchanges in the area of infectious diseases.
The communiqué, "Fight Against Infectious Diseases," singles out the current response to the dangerous H5N1 bird flu strain that has affected hundreds of millions of birds in more than 50 countries. It pledges G8 support for the efforts of international organizations to contain and control the animal disease as a key strategy in preventing the emergence of a human pandemic.
The document also calls for nations to fulfill the pledges of $2 billion made at a January conference to assist vulnerable nations in enhancing their response to the disease.
"A robust and comprehensive program of assistance to vulnerable affected countries, particularly those in the developing world, is an essential part of our global response to avian and pandemic influenza," the document says.
The 2006 document reaffirms commitments made in the past on mobilizing support for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria and other multilateral initiatives targeting polio and searching for an HIV vaccine.
In expressing its concerns about HIV/AIDS, the G8 nations say their response to the disease will follow certain principles, such as a well-balanced attack on the disease - including prevention, treatment and care - with the involvement of partners from all social sectors.
The G8 also endorses efforts to reduce stigma and discrimination against HIV-positive persons, and to reduce infection among young people, women and girls.
The communiqué also acknowledges the broad systemic changes that will be necessary if lesser-developed nations are to make real progress in lessening the disease burden.
"The limited capacity of health systems is a major barrier to coming as close as possible to universal access to treatment for those who need it by 2010," said the communiqué. The G8 leaders agree to sustain efforts to support developing nation governments to work for increasing the sustainability of their health systems.
The G8 also encourages greater investment in research, development and production of drugs and vaccines to address global diseases impeding development, and calls for innovation in strategies to promote those goals.
In an annex attached to the document, the United States pointed out the contributions it has made to improve international health. The United States is providing $15 billion over five years to support international HIV/AIDS programs and has pledged $362 million for countries to prepare for, detect and rapidly respond to outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza. The United States is also a significant contributor to multilateral efforts to address tuberculosis, polio, children's health, and expand infectious disease research.
The full text of the G8 communiqué, including the U.S. annex, is available on the G8 Web site. For additional information on the summit, see G8 Summit 2006 St. Petersburg, Russia
For ongoing coverage of U.S. efforts to advance international health, see Health.
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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