AVIAN INFLUENZA: EMBASSY DE-BRIEFS TURKEY MOH

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 000861

SIPDIS

USAID FOR TROSTLE, BLANCHET AND CARROLL
HHS FOR WSTEIGER/PBUDASHEWITZ
FAS FOR ITP/MACKE/THOMAS, CMP/DLP/WETZEL, FAS/JDEVER
FAS PASS FSIS AND APHIS
VIENNA PASS APHIS
BRUSSELS PASS APHIS/FERNANDEZ
GENEVA PASS HEALTH ATTACHE
ROME FOR US MISSION TO FAO
TREASURY FOR PLANTIER

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958:N/A
TAGS: TBIO AMED EAID CASC SENV EFIN EAGR TU KFLU
SUBJECT: AVIAN INFLUENZA: EMBASSY DE-BRIEFS TURKEY MOH

REF: A. ANKARA 630, B. ANKARA 341, C. ANKARA 263 AND

PREVIOUS.

ANKARA 00000861 001.2 OF 002



1. SUMMARY. Embassy AI team de-briefed GOT MOH
officials on the conclusions and observations of the
interagency AI team that visited Turkey January 16-22
(Ref C). Given the apparent respite in new human AI
cases, MOH said it is moving from crisis to risk
management AI. World Bank negotiations on an AI package
have been postponed to March. End Summary.

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From Crisis to Risk Management
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2. Using the cleared USG AI Team paper, Econ Counselor
and Embassy AI Working Group de-briefed Ministry of
Health Assistant Director General Ali Coskun and his team
on February 17. We stressed Turkey's transparent and
cooperative response, but noted the need to improve lab
capacity and communication outreach. The MOH Reps
expressed appreciation for the USG AI team's work (Public
Health Specialist Toker Erguder who accompanied the team
to Van was present.) The MOH officials also expressed
appreciation for the contributions of CDC officials Tim
Uyeki, who helped check pediatric patients in Van, and
Stephen Lindstrom, who had participated in the MOH team
response effort at the Ankara lab.


3. Communicable Disease Expert Mehmet Ali Torunoglu
stated that Turkey had moved from crisis to risk
management, noting that there had been no new human cases
since January 13. He stated that out of 21 confirmed
cases (of which, 12 confirmed by the WHO),there had been
only 4 deaths, suggesting that further analysis was
needed to explain Turkey's seeming low mortality rate.


4. The MOH officials noted that the World Bank
coordinated support package would strengthen key
infrastructure such as lab capacity, as well as improve
communication capacity and augment stocks of personal
protective equipment. They noted that they continued to
coordinate closely with UNICEF on communication
strategies. (Note: an Ankara-based WB official
confirmed that USAID was working on a potential $1
million contribution and that that WB negotiations with
the GOT had been postponed to after March 7. End Note.)

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5. The MOH officials asserted that the parallel Health
and Agriculture crisis centers (with sharing of
personnel) were a very effective approach for Turkey, as
opposed to the creation of a single unit under the Prime
Minister. Moreover, they noted that while there was good
cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture (MARA) on
crisis response, their long-term objectives for back-yard
fowl were not the same. (MOH advocates eradication; MARA
advocates mitigation and careful reintroduction.)


6. The MOH officials described on-going scientific
analyses, comprising the range from clinical,
virological, and epidemiological. The officials
described the choice of sending samples to Istanbul or
Ankara labs as purely geographical. The MOH provided the
most current case definition (revised with WHO) to MED
Officer.

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A Few New Cases - Culling Continues
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7. GOT MARA confirmed that new animal cases had been
detected in backyard fowl in three locations in Rize
Province and two in Elazig Province in the east and
culling operations had commenced there. Since the onset
of new cases in December-January 2006, the GOT reports
that 2,246,954 birds have been culled among backyard fowl
mainly in eastern and central Anatolia.
Wilson