The objective of this symposium is to describe how private and public sectors in the APEC region can cooperate and work effectively to prepare for and respond to pandemic influenza.

This videoconference promotes regional information sharing and collaboration to enhance preparedness against pandemic influenza. In order to improve preparedness regionally, it is vital to understand how each economy in the region is undertaking preparedness. Specifically, EINet's proposed aims are to:

1. Bring together economies in a dynamic, real-time discussion on preparedness through the collaboration of the health and the business/trade sectors, with a focus on critical systems continuity.
2. Share specific examples of current practices, e.g. scenario exercises, communication drills and policy evaluation.
3. Use innovative technologies (e.g. Access Grid) for real-time, virtual interchange, enhancing their utility for future collaboration and response in time of a pandemic.

Date and Time: Evening hours of 29 May in the Americas and in the morning hours of 30 May in Asia, for approximately 5 hours (Friday, May 30, 2008 at 01:00-06:00 Coordinated Universal Time).

For additional information, please contact Yuzo Arima at apecein@u.washington.edu. Thank you.

For Participants