The Pacific task force formed in New Caledonia last year met again last month in Fiji where they drafted the resolution that contains 15 recommendations.
Department of Lands and Natural Resources Secretary Ignacio Dela Cruz, who represented the CNMI in the three-day meeting, said each recommendation is still subject to modification.
The Pacific Region Influenza Pandemic Preparedness Plan covers two areas — public health and animal health.
Dela Cruz endorsed the recommendations for animal health and expressed hope that the other members of the Pacific task force will also try to implement them as soon as possible.
Among the recommendations are:
Assistance is provided to the World Health Organization and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community to revise, develop and implement a country-level action plan in order to achieve the minimum care capacity requirements to comply with international health regulations by June 2009.
Countries should aim to undertake national, multi-sectoral preparedness testing exercises at least every two years.
The SPC will provide increased support to Pacific island countries and territories to fully integrate national preparedness plans while technical agencies assist in the integration of infectious disease preparedness plans into multi-hazard/emergency preparedness plans.
The SPC and other technical agencies advocate and promote multi-sectoral approaches.
The task force agrees on the principles of terms of reference for national task forces.
The preparedness plan assists countries to ensure it is country-specific and aligned with the national disaster management and international health regulations requirements.
Avenues are also explored to introduce pro-poor livestock policy initiative into the region to complement technical activities.
The Pacific countries and territories want to ensure that legislation and other actions are in place to control their borders, implement adequate quarantine measures, control/restriction of population and individual movements and maintenance of access to essential goods and services.
Island countries and territories support task force functions by appointing formal secretariats and allocating funding to facilitate its functions.
Technical agencies also assist island countries and territories to improve surveillance systems and rapidly build capacity for response via field epidemiology and other relevant training.
The SPC liaise with WHO to obtain clear technical advice regarding possible arrangements for diagnosis of zoonotic disease agents in animal specimens in human health laboratories with particular reference to bio-safety consideration.
The SPC then pursues the institutionalization of its training programs so they can continue beyond the project’s timeframes.
