WELCOME MESSAGE

It is our pleasure to announce that the Government of Egypt will host the Sixth International Ministerial Conference on Avian and Pandemic Influence this October 24 – 26, 2008 in collaboration with international organizations and the agencies of the United Nations.
This important international convention will be held at a significant juncture of our endeavors to contain the outbreak of avian influenza (AI) in animals, and to strengthen global contingency planning to prevent a potential human influenza pandemic. The conference will be a continuation of the previous conferences on AI held in Washington in 2005, in Beijing in 2006, in Vienna in 2006, in Bamako in 2006, and in New Delhi in 2007. The past conferences addressed the challenges posed due to the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).
The goal of the conference is to highlight the needs of less developed countries concerning avian influenza. Under the current situation, the impact of HPAI outbreaks and influenza pandemics is devastating.
By bringing together the leaders of international organizations focused on building a global response to the threat of AI, our hope is to formulate a plan that can be applied on both a national and global level.
The conference will be held at the International Congress Center in Sharm El-Sheikh.
We are looking forward to this important convention as an opportunity to build on the experiences and wisdom of the participants, uniting ideas and moving forward into the future.

Sincerely,