VIETNAM: AVIAN INFLUENZA WEEKLY REPORT FOR NOVEMBER

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 HANOI 003124

SIPDIS

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

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AMED AMGT CASC EAGR PINR SOCI PGOV TBIO VM AFLU
SUBJECT: VIETNAM: AVIAN INFLUENZA WEEKLY REPORT FOR NOVEMBER
25, 2005

REF: A) HANOI 3113, B) HANOI 3035, C) HANOI 3008


1. (SBU) Summary. There were no new confirmed human Avian
Influenza (AI) deaths since the October 29 death. The total
number of AI-affected provinces and cities rose to 17 out of
Vietnam's 64 provinces and cities, despite the de-listing of
two provinces in the Mekong Delta and Hanoi city.
Newspapers report over one million fowls have been culled
nationwide; 134 million fowl have been vaccinated, which is
40 percent of the total number set in the national plan. Ho
Chi Minh City (HCMC) and six neighboring provinces in
southern Vietnam signed an agreement for a joint program of
action against bird flu and human flu type A. The Mission
delivered further demarches to the Government of Vietnam
(GVN) to protest Vietnam's ban on poultry imports that
included U.S. products. GVN appealed to the international
non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for USD 50 million for
AI activities during 2006-07 and USD 150 million through

2010. USAID activities for AI public awareness and training
are poised to begin in early December once GVN ministries
concur to content of outreach and surveys materials. State-
run newspaper conducts undercover investigation to reveal
corruption and ineptitude among local officials in HCMC
responsible for enforcing AI regulations. End Summary.

No New Confirmed AI Human Fatalities
--------------


2. (U) There have been no new confirmed AI human fatalities
since the October 29 death of a Hanoi man reported
previously. On November 22, doctors from the Hai Phong
Department of Health in northern Vietnam told Reuters that a
15-year old boy was confirmed to have contracted H5N1 virus
and was reported to be in stable condition. This has not
been confirmed to us yet by the World Health Organization
(WHO). Meanwhile, four other flu victims, including a
veterinarian who was in close contact with poultry, have
tested negative for AI.

Infections in Poultry Spread
--------------


3. (U) Long An became the latest province in Vietnam to
report a bird flu outbreak in animals, raising the total
number of AI-affected areas to 17 of the 64 provinces and
cities. These include Bac Giang, Bac Ninh, Cao Bang, Hai
Duong, Hoa Binh, Hung yen, Ninh Binh, Phu Tho, Son La, Thai
Binh, Thai Nguyen, Thanh Hoa, Haiphong, Vinh in Northern
Vietnam; Quang Nam and Quang Ngai in Central Vietnam; and
Long An in Southern Vietnam. The outbreak in Long An
Province was confirmed on November 23 after positive test
results indicated 72 chickens and 12 ducks from Ben Luc
Commune had died November 14 from AI. Earlier in the week,
Hanoi, Dong Thap and Bac Lieu Provinces in the Mekong Delta
were withdrawn from the list because no new infections were
detected. Deputy Head of the Veterinary Department of the
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) Bui
Quang Anh was reported in the press as saying that the bird
flu was "spreading fast in poultry stocks in northern Hai
Duong and central Thanh Hoa Provinces, showing the weak
efforts made by the authorities and farmers in a fight
against bird flu epidemic."


4. (U) According to various state-run newspapers, over 1
million fowl have been culled in outbreak areas nationwide.
Among bird flu-hit localities, northern Bac Giang Province
is reported to have the lead in culling 284,000 fowl,
followed by Danang, Hanoi, and northern Hai Duong province
with respective figures of 206,000 birds, 143,000 and
112,000 respectively.


5. (U) Newspapers also report 134 million fowls have been
vaccinated, which is 40 percent of the total number set in a
national plan. The National Steering Committee for Bird Flu
Prevention has ordered authorities across the country to
step up poultry vaccination efforts in order to reach their
goal of vaccinating 80 percent of the domestic fowls by late
November 2005.

HCMC and Southern Provinces Join Efforts to Control Bird Flu
-------------- --------------


6. (U) HCMC and six neighboring provinces of Dong Nai, Tay
Ninh, Binh Duong, Long An, Tien Giang, and Ba Ria-Vung Tau
in southern Vietnam signed an agreement on November 21 for a
joint program of action against bird flu and human flu type

A. Under the joint program, the city and its neighboring
provinces will join forces for supervision and prevention of
bird flu; share a common husbandry development scheme
meeting hygienic and veterinarian conditions; and, control
the transport of birds. HCMC will assist provinces in
building abattoirs and develop a close circle in poultry
rearing, slaughtering and distribution

Poultry Imports Ban Demarche Delivered
--------------


7. (SBU) The Agricultural Attache delivered two demarches
to MARD referring to Vietnam's ban on poultry imports
(reftel A). In the second meeting on November 23, MARD Vice
Minister Bui Ba Bong indicated that the "resolution" by the
Prime Minister had banned imports of poultry and poultry
products for all countries because of time constraints.
MARD would consider adding implementing "details" to the
resolution that would take into account World Organization
for Animal Health (OIE) guidelines that advise against bans
on countries free of AI such as the United States. However,
the Vice Minister did not offer a promise that this would
result in an exemption from the ban for U.S. poultry and
poultry products.

Appeals to NGO Community for Assistance
--------------


8. (U) On November 21, the Vietnam Union of Friendship
Organization (VUFO) called a meeting with international NGOs
in Hanoi to exchange information on bird flu in Vietnam and
seek further funding for the country to curb the epidemic.
The GVN appealed for USD 50 million to fight against bird
flu during 2006-07 and USD 150 million through 2010. As
reported in reftel C, the United Nations Development Program
(UNDP) estimated that at least USD 120 million of additional
donor assistance is needed for long-term AI planning and
response. The local press favorably noted U.S. support to
Vietnam AI prevention efforts for this year worth USD 6.5
million.

Update on USAID AI Public Education Activities
-------------- -


9. (U) Under USAID contract to the Academy for Education
and Development (AED) will be subcontracted to Veterinarians
Without Borders (VSF-CICDA) who will provide support for the
training of animal health workers to use the FAO/DAH/VSF
guidebook on the prevention and control of avian flu in
backyard poultry farms. Five thousand private and public
veterinarians and paravets from ten high-risk provinces in
the Mekong and Red River Deltas will be trained to use and
disseminate the information contained in the guidebook to
the one million clients they serve. VSF will first provide
training of trainers to ten district veterinarians who in
turn will train the paravets and other vets. VSF-CICDA will
provide follow-up and monitoring of the training. The
training will commence the first week of December and
conclude in mid-January. Mission hopes to expand the
training to other provinces if and when more funding becomes
available.


10. (U) USAID is awaiting approval from the Minister of
Agriculture and Rural Development for clearance to begin a
quick survey on the most appropriate public education
outreach materials. The proposed USAID/AED contract will
provide technical assistance and support to train
information officers of the Ministry of Culture and
Information in AI to ensure that correct and appropriate
information is disseminated through the media. Also, USAID
was informed this week that the UNDP had selected a
coordinator for intra-donor coordination.


11. (U) The NGO Resource Center in Hanoi is recruiting an
information officer to support coordination between NGOs,
the government and donors. An increasing number of NGOs are
becoming involved in the effort to control AI. They
expressed the need to share information, ensure consistency
in messages and coordinate programming. A website will be
set up in addition to other information sharing activities.
A staff person should begin work in late November through
February 2006. The cost of this position will be shared
between AED, WHO and Plan International.


12. (U) Regionally, Indochina Research Ltd has been
contracted by AED to conduct knowledge, attitudes and
practices (KAP) surveys and focus group discussions among
rural backyard poultry farmers in Vietnam, Cambodia and
Laos. This research will provide information that will be
used for the development of messages and communication
strategy. The KAP survey will also provide baseline
information against which knowledge and behavioral change
will be measured. In Vietnam, 600 farmers will be
interviewed and four focus group discussions conducted.
Survey questionnaire and question guides have been developed
and the research is awaiting approval from MARD.

Free Range Reporters in HCMC
--------------

13. (U) According to the Washington Post, two Vietnamese
reporters working for state-run Thanh Nien newspaper filed a
controversial, undercover report on slaughterhouses in HCMC
that revealed corruption and ineptitude among local
government officials and was ultimately praised by city
council members. Posing as novice chicken mongers and armed
with hidden cameras, the reporters documented merchants
purchasing fake health certificates that claimed their birds
were free of AI, a poultry inspector asleep at his post, and
shoddy roadside inspections. The HCMC People's Council, the
city's top governing body, subsequently praised the
reporters and ordered officials to report on the
irregularities uncovered by the newspaper's investigation.
MARINE