VIETNAM: AVIAN INFLUENZA WEEKLY REPORT FOR OCTOBER

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 002597

SIPDIS

USAID BANGKOK FOR RDM-A

SENSITIVE

STATE FOR G; CA/OCS/ACS/EAP; EAP/EX; EAP/BCLTV; EAP/EP; INR;
OES/STC (MGOLDBERG); OES/IHA (DSINGER AND NCOMELLA)
BANGKOK FOR RMO, CDC, USAID/RDM/A (MFRIEDMAN)
USDA FOR FAS/PASS TO APHIS
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE FOR OSD/ISA/AP (LSTERN)
USAID FOR ANE AND GH (DCAROLL, SCLEMENTS AND PCHAPLIN)
STATE PASS USTR (ELENA BRYAN)
STATE ALSO PASS HHS/OGHA (EELVANDER)
ROME FOR FAO

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AMED AMGT CASC EAGR PINR SOCI PGOV TBIO VM AFLU
SUBJECT: VIETNAM: AVIAN INFLUENZA WEEKLY REPORT FOR OCTOBER
6, 2005


SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED

REF: Hanoi 2519 and previous


1. (SBU) Summary. There have been no new cases of human or
poultry Avian Influenza (AI) reported since Mission
Vietnam's last weekly update on September 29. Delays in
vaccine and equipment delivery have caused postponement of
the third round of poultry vaccination. The Government of
Vietnam (GVN) will send a delegation to the International
Partnership on Avian Pandemic Influenza (IPAPI) Senior
Official Meeting in Washington on October 6 and 7, and has
approved the First Phase of the Joint UNDP/WHO/FAO Program.
The GVN has passed copies of a revised version of its
national preparedness plan to the WHO and FAO. The WHO
representative described the new plan as "complete and quite
excellent." The Canadian Embassy is organizing a strategic
planning workshop next week to develop a plan for their AI
assistance. The Ambassador will host a Town Hall meeting
for the Embassy community on October 12, and for the private
American community shortly thereafter. Staff of the
Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City met with members of
AmCham to discuss AI preparedness planning. End Summary.

No New Human Cases
--------------


2. (U) There have been no new cases of human or poultry AI
reported since Mission Vietnam's last weekly update on
September 29.

Poultry Vaccination Program
--------------


3. (U) The head of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development's (MARD) Department of Animal Health, Bui Quang
Anh, acknowledged publicly that delays in vaccine and
equipment delivery have caused postponement of the third
round of the poultry vaccination campaign by three weeks.
Officials hope the vaccination program will resume in early
October.


4. (SBU) According to reliable international experts, Bac
Ninh Province, which borders Hanoi, is one of several
provinces affected by the supply shortage, and has postponed
vaccination by two weeks. Local officials there are highly
supportive of the vaccination campaign, and have allocated
USD 200,000 from the Provincial Emergency Fund to cover the
vaccine cost for bigger farms (the Central Government is
paying for the vaccine for farms with fewer than 2,000
birds). However, provincial officials have set compensation
to vaccine administrators at a significantly lower level
than that suggested by national guidelines, and are facing
recruitment problems. Additional challenges include an
inadequate number of refrigerated storage facilities at the
district level.

Other AI Related Issues
--------------


5. (U) The Embassy confirmed that Ambassador Nguyen Tam
Chien, Vietnam's Ambassador to the United States, and Deputy
Director General, Department of Animal Health, Ministry of
Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD),Mr. Hoang Van Nam,
will attend the IPAPI Senior Officials Meeting in Washington
on October 6 and 7. The Embassy has been in contact with
the Embassies of Japan, Singapore, and Australia, which also
approached the GVN regarding IPAPI.


6. (U) The GVN approved the First Phase of the Joint
UNDP/WHO/FAO Program. The project includes USAID funding
and the Embassy Science Fellow.


7. (U) The GVN has passed copies of a revised version of its
national preparedness plan to the WHO and FAO. The WHO
representative described the new plan as "complete and quite
excellent." He predicted that the GVN will share it with
the donors very soon.


8. (U) The Canadian Embassy and the Canadian International
Development Agency (CIDA) are organizing a strategic
planning workshop next week to develop a plan for AI
assistance to Vietnam through the CIDA funded Canada-Asia
Regional Emerging Infectious Diseases (CARED) Project. The
USD 15 million program focuses on strengthening capacity in
SE Asia and China. Participants in the workshop will
include Ministry of Health and MARD officials and bilateral
donors.


9. (U) The Embassy's Avian Influenza Working Group (AIWG)
met on September 29 to review tripwires, preparations for
shelter in place, the responsibilities to contractors, and
plans for an evacuation. The AIWG will draft an AI specific
drawdown list and expand the warden list. The MED unit will
provide training on in-home health care.


10. (U) The Ambassador will chair a Town Hall meeting on AI
for Embassy staff on October 12. Another meeting for the
non-Embassy American community will take place shortly
thereafter.


11. (U) Consulate General HCMC staff met with members of
AmCham to discuss AI preparedness planning. In attendance
were representatives from AmCham's Board and its
Agriculture, Tourism, Public Affairs, and HR Committees.
ConGen medical staff provided an overview of the AI and
influenza information available on the State, CDC and WHO
websites. CONS fielded questions regarding American citizen
issues. AmCham gave an overview of planned activities,
including an AI online resource center.

MARINE