INDEPENDENT NEWS

Cablegate: Hmg Dept of Health Chief Scientist to Attend

Published: Fri 5 Oct 2007 02:21 PM
VZCZCXYZ0008
PP RUEHWEB
DE RUEHLO #3824 2781421
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 051421Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY LONDON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5740
INFO RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 2540
UNCLAS LONDON 003824
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
OES/IHB FOR DANIEL MILLER AND PATRICIA MURPHY
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID TBIO PINR GR UK
SUBJECT: HMG DEPT OF HEALTH CHIEF SCIENTIST TO ATTEND
MINISTERIAL FORUM "ALL AGAINST TUBERCULOSIS" IN BERLIN
OCTOBER 22
REF: STATE 137323
1. (U) Dr. David Harper, Chief Scientist and Director
General of Health Protection, International Health and
Scientific Development, at the Department of Health
(DH) will represent HMG at the October 22 Ministerial
forum "All Against Tuberculosis" in Berlin. ESTOff
delivered reftel demarche to Dr. Nick Banatvala, DH
Head of Global Affairs, on October 3, who said that
Dr. Harper will be the only HMG representative at the
meeting; the Department for International Development
(DfID) does not plan to participate. However, DfID
representatives Stewart Tyson, Head of Profession for
Health, and Delna Ghandi plan to attend the STOPTB
Board meeting in Berlin on October 23-24. Bio of Dr.
Harper provided by DH at para 2.
2. (U) Begin HMG-provided bio of Dr. David Harper.
Dr David Harper has been the Chief Scientist and Head
of Profession for scientists in the Department of
Health since 1996. He was appointed to his current
post as Director General for Health Protection,
International Health and Scientific Development in
autumn 2003. He is a Fellow of the Institute of
Biology and a Fellow of the Faculty of Public Health
of the Royal College of Physicians. He was awarded
the CBE in 2002.
David's disciplines are microbiology and biochemistry.
He worked as Head of the Microbiology Unit at the
Metropolitan Police Forensic Science Laboratory before
joining the Department of Health in 1989 to lead the
team working on dangerous pathogens and biotechnology.
He has held a variety of science policy posts in areas
such as food safety, environmental microbiology,
toxicology and radiation. His present role is to
protect the population of England against risks to
health (including those from infectious diseases,
chemicals, radiation and terrorist activity), to
advance the international health agenda, and to
develop areas of cutting-edge scientific development
in order to optimize the benefits to human health.
End bio of Dr. David Harper.
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