IMCAPI Process
The evolution of IMCAPI
2010 International Ministerial Conference on "Animal and Pandemic Influenza: The Way Forward" (IMCAPI Hanoi 2010) and the series of preceding high-level international conferences form part of an evolution of global political dialogue around influenza pandemic preparedness and response issues. The conferences have provided an important platform to enable governments to display to the world their united action in response to highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) and their preparations for a pandemic. The conferences have also demonstrated the global achievements on addressing influenza and identified the areas where further support is most needed.
IMCAPI Timeline
Year | | Oct 2005 | | Nov 2005 | | Jan 2006 | | Jun 2006 | | Dec 2006 | | Dec 2007 | | Oct 2008 | | Apr 2010 |
Venue | | Geneva | | Beijing | | Vienna | | Bamako | | Hanoi |
The first global gathering of senior officials on avian and pandemic influenza took place in Washington in 2005 and formed the ‘International Partnership on Avian and Pandemic Influenza’. The meeting saw a host of governments, UN agencies and international organisations come together to plan a united response to influenza and pandemic preparedness. Out of this partnership meeting a number of key recommendations were agreed upon:
International cooperation will protect the lives and health of all people
Timely and sustained high-level global political leadership is needed to combat avian and pandemic influenza
Transparency in reporting of influenza cases in humans and animals
Immediate sharing of epidemiological data and samples
Rapid reaction in response to influenza and pandemic preparedness
Capacity building and in-country collaboration with international partners in order to prevent and contain an incipient epidemic
Work in a manner complementary to and supportive of key multilateral organizations
Timely coordination of bilateral and multilateral resource allocations, dedication of domestic resources (human and financial), improvements in public awareness, and development of economic and trade contingency plans
Increased coordination and harmonization of preparedness, prevention, response and containment activities among nations
Action taken based on the best available science
The second gathering of experts took place in Switzerland in 2006 at the ‘Geneva Global Partners Conference on Avian and Human Pandemic Influenza’. The Geneva conference was organised by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the World Bank. It was hailed as a landmark technical meeting on avian and pandemic influenza, out of which a set of key actions and areas in urgent need for financing were identified and agreed on. Building on the foundations of the Washington proposals, the Geneva conference laid out its own set of key recommendations for 2006 and beyond:
Development of integrated national plans
Assist countries in aggressive control of avian influenza in birds
Deepen the understanding of the role of wild birds in virus transmission
Create rapid response teams
Strengthen country and regional capacity in surveillance, laboratory diagnosis, and alert and response systems
Expand the network of laboratories
Create and build on multi-country networks addressing animal transboundary diseases
Develop a global anti-viral stockpile
Strengthen veterinary infrastructure
Develop a global strategy for anti-viral/influenza vaccine
Determine the cost of country plans, regional and global requirements
Finalise a coordination framework
IMCAPI BEIJING 2006
The international community gathered next in Beijing in 2006 at the ‘International Pledging Conference on Avian and Human Pandemic Influenza’. Out of this meeting of high-level government officials and international organizations the following vision was adopted:
To control highly pathogenic avian influenza in poultry and reduce the risks that this disease poses for members of the human population exposed to it
To watch out for sustained human-to-human transmission of highly pathogenic influenza through vastly improved surveillance and to be ready to contain it
To mitigate the impact of a pandemic on human health, society, economic systems, livelihoods and governance
In addition to articulating a united vision in addressing HPAI, the Beijing conference succeeded in raising US$1.9billion of resources pledged to address this area.
For further information on IMCAPI Beijing, please click here.
In the third ‘Senior Officials Meeting on Avian and Human Pandemic Influenza’ in Vienna in June 2006, the principles of the Beijing vision were sustained, while emphasis began to shift to the multi-sectoral dimensions of pandemic preparedness. It was now clear that pandemic preparedness was much broader than a standalone health issue and affected the whole of society.
IMCAPI BAMAKO 2006
The fourth international ministerial conference on avian and pandemic influenza in Bamako in December 2006, which was hosted by the Government of Mali, included participation from over 72 countries. The conference was organized to take stock of the evolution of HPAI and of the status of the international response to the crisis one year after Beijing, with special focus on Africa. The Bamako gathering placed special emphasis on international cooperation to help build preparedness and response capacity in Africa, strengthen animal and human health systems, and halt the spread of the disease across the continent, mindful that East and South-East Asia continues to show the most prevalent avian influenza infection in animals and in humans.
The outcomes being pursued at IMCAPI Bamako began to combine urgent needs with longer term issues. The complex challenges of sustaining avian influenza control and responses to a pandemic began to be addressed. Following the conference, participants agreed on a number of key recommendations, including:
To remain vigilant to the threat of a human influenza pandemic
To sustain and strengthen the momentum in the fight against AHI
To advocate for ongoing commitment to action by political leaders at the highest level to prevent the regional and global spread of avian influenza with its impact on livelihoods and the potential for a human pandemic with catastrophic consequences.
To continue the commitment to the outcomes of previous conferences, notably in (i) addressing disease outbreaks through concerted, internationally-supported rapid response, and in-country capacity building, (ii) ensuring effective development and implementation of the proposed integrated action plans at national levels within the framework of WHO/FAO/OIE global strategies, (iii) combining immediate with mid- and long-term actions, to address the complexity of the avian influenza crisis and the need to sustainably promote capacities of medical and veterinary services in compliance with international standards, (iv) preventing and controlling HPAI but also all other high impact communicable animal diseases as well as human health emerging diseases of pandemic emergencies, and (v) promoting enhanced communication and collaboration between animal and human health sectors, and (vi) ensuring coordination at all levels, notably at the global level through the United Nations System Influenza Coordination (UNSIC). Therefore urgency is placed on renewed efforts to strengthen the capacity of animal and human health services in compliance with the international standards and good governance principles of OIE and WHO, in particular through the early voluntary implementation of the International Health Regulations
To commit to giving urgent attention to the threat of AHI in Africa
To commit to transparency in reporting of influenza cases in humans and in animals and to immediate sharing of epidemiological data and samples
To commit to increasing knowledge and awareness of the risks of avian and pandemic influenza and how people can best prepare and protect themselves.
To commit to share experiences broadly and keep evaluating the results and the impact of our national pandemic influenza preparedness and action plans periodically
In addition to articulating a united vision in addressing HPAI, the Bamako conference succeeded in raising US$474 million of resources pledged to address this area.
For further information on IMCAPI Bamako, please click here.
IMCAPI NEW DELHI 2007
The fifth International Ministerial Conference on Avian and Pandemic Influenza took place in New Delhi in December 2007. Organized and hosted by the Government of India, the conference brought together 500 participants, representing 111 countries and 26 international agencies under the vision ‘One World, One Health’. Participants in the New Delhi ministerial conference reiterated the need to sustain intensive efforts to control HPAI in countries where the virus was entrenched and to remain vigilant. Significant emphasis was also placed on the expansion from an emergency response approach to medium-term strategies for improved animal and human health, as well as the broadening of pandemic preparedness planning into a truly multi-sectoral effort. While the conference was not specifically designed for donor contributions, a session was allocated for those wishing to announce financial assistance. Pledges totaling US$401 million were made at New Delhi - in addition to the $2.3 billion pledged in previous ministerial conferences of Beijing and Bamako.
At the conclusion of the conference in New Delhi, the Government of India produced a road map that reflected best practice so as to guide nations’ efforts for controlling avian influenza and preparing for the next pandemic. The road map set out objectives that countries might seek to achieve during 2008, and introduced the need for convergence between animal and human health - the concept (developed by the Wildlife Conservation Society) of ‘One World, One Health’. India’s vision served as a useful tool for national planning, programme development and progress assessment during 2008.
For further information on IMCAPI New Delhi, please click here.
IMCAPI SHARM EL-SHEIKH 2008
The sixth International Ministerial Conference on Avian and Pandemic Influenza was hosted in October 2008 by the Government of Egypt. The conference saw 530 participants representing 132 countries, and 26 regional and international organizations partake in the three-day ministerial gathering. During the conference, ministers and senior officials addressed three overall global challenges:
How best to ensure that the world is ready to cope with an influenza pandemic and diseases that can trigger other unforeseen health events
How to sustain efforts to control HPAI, especially in poultry; and eventually to eradicate it
How to initiate longer term action in response to infectious diseases that emerge at the interface between animals and humans, within different ecosystems, that are capable of causing severe damage and affecting livelihoods
The conference produced the document ‘Vision for the Future’ which summarized main outcomes and conclusions of the meeting, and included the following observations:
Participants reiterated the factors for success that emerged in 2006 in responding to avian influenza, which are valid for responding to other emerging infectious diseases, furthering ‘One World One Health’ and preparing for a pandemic, which include:
Sustained engagement of political leaders
Rapid surge capacity to increase the deployment of skilled professional response teams
Sustained collaborative action across government ministries, including joint training programmes and collaboration between animal and human health research laboratories
Continuous and effective engagement of the private sector and civil society
Functioning systems to ensure incentives and compensation for economic losses
Involvement of communities and decision makers through integrated, sustained and transparent communication
The importance of research, product development and technology transfer.
Overall, strong emphasis was placed on ways for taking this work forward in 2009. Recognizing that societies derive many benefits from both HPAI control and pandemic preparedness efforts, delegates reaffirmed the need for a continuing spirit of international partnership and equity, transparent sharing of information, more equitable access to benefits, standardization of indicators of progress, a greater focus on quantitative results, more involvement of the private sector and civil society, and continued engagement of regional organizations in the priority areas.
While the conference was not specifically designed for donor contributions, a session was allocated for those countries wishing to announce financial assistance. A total of more than US$350 million was pledged, bringing the cumulative total of international assistance pledged since January 2006 to more than US$3 billion.
For further information on IMCAPI Sharm El-Sheikh, please click here.
IMCAPI HANOI 2010
The seventh IMCAPI takes place in Vietnam in April 2010. IMCAPI Hanoi is expected to set a new global milestone by providing a way forward on animal and pandemic influenza, and endorsing the need for further international collaboration to address emerging health threats arising at the interface between animals, humans and our changing environment.
IMCAPI Hanoi 2010 will assess global progress in controlling Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (caused by the virus H5N1) and propose a series of next steps to further reduce and potentially eradicate this serious threat.
The conference will also review the global response to the current influenza pandemic (caused by the virus A/H1N1) and the state of global pandemic preparedness. It will propose areas for future attention to further enhance our collective capacity to respond quickly to significant health events.
Lastly, and most importantly, the conference will build on the extensive knowledge that has been gained through our responses to influenza H5N1 and pandemic H1N1 and propose a way forward to strengthen protection from all emerging health threats of animal origin though the development of efficient, sustainable and integrated systems. Ministers will discuss and reach an agreement on a consensus Ministerial Statement that will guide future cooperation and coordination among countries and international organizations in 2010 and beyond.
