TURKMENISTAN REQUESTS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR

UNCLAS ASHGABAT 000253 SIPDIS C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (ADDING PARA MARK AND CAPTION) SENISITIVE SIPDIS FOR SCA/CEN (PERRY) ANKARA FOR AGRICULTURE COUNSELOR JAMES HIGGISTON TASHKENT FOR ESTH (PUTNAM) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAGR ETRD PGOV KFLU TX SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN REQUESTS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR AI PREPAREDNESS REFTEL: A) ASHGABAT 173 B) ASHGABAT 234 AND PREVIOUS C) STATE 153802 Sensitive But Unclassified; Not for Internet Distribution 1.(U) PER REF C, POST PROVIDES A WEEKLY FOLLOW-UP ON AVIAN INFLUENZA. MOHMI REQUESTS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FROM WHO -------------- -- ¶2. (SBU) ACCORDING TO THE WHO LOCAL LIAISON OFFICER, MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND MEDICAL INDUSTRY (MOHMI) DEPUTY BYASHIM SOPYEV REQUESTED WHO ASSISTANCE FOR AI PREPAREDNESS IN A LETTER ADDRESSED TO WHO/EURO MARC DANZON. THE MOHMI REQUESTED WHO EXPERTISE IN BUILDING TURKMENISTAN'S HEALTH SYSTEM CAPACITY IN THE AREAS OF EPIDEMIC SURVEILLANCE, LABORATORY DIAGNOSIS AND INFECTION CONTROL. GOTX DETAINS SUSPECTED AI PATIENTS -------------- ¶3. (SBU) PER EARLIER GOTX REPORTS (REF C),THE GOTX DETAINS ARRIVING AIR PASSENGERS SUSPECTED TO BE INFECTED WITH AI. POST WAS ADVISED THAT TWO PASSENGERS WERE RECENTLY QUARANTINED IN THE INFECTIOUS DISEASE HOSPITAL UPON THEIR ARRIVAL FROM TURKEY. BOTH DETAINED INDIVIDUALS TESTED NEGATIVE; ONE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH TUBERCULOSIS, THE OTHER WITH BRONCHITIS. NO EVIDENCE OF AI IN TURKMENISTAN -------------- ¶4. (U) ON FEBRUARY 26, DEUTSCHE WELLE REPORTED THAT APPROXIMATELY 30 TO 50 DEAD MIGRATORY FOWL WERE FOUND IN TURKMENBASHY HARBOR AND GARABOGAZKOL GULF ON THE CASPIAN SEA. HOWEVER, A CONTACT AT THE ASHGABAT SANITARY AND EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STATION (SES) TOLD USAID HEALTH SPECIALIST THAT THE AI TESTS WERE NEGATIVE. SEPARATELY, OPPOSITION WEBSITES REPORTS OF HUMAN AND FOWL DEATHS IN DASHOGUZ WELAYAT (PROVINCE) RELATED TO AI HAVE NOT BEEN SUBSTANTIATED. ACCORDING TO ONE RESIDENT OF DASHOGUZ, MANY CHICKENS FROZE TO DEATH THIS WINTER BECAUSE OF EXTREME TEMPERATURES; THE RETURN TO MODERATE TEMPERATURES HAS ENDED THE BIRD DEATHS. COMMENT -------------- ¶5. (SBU) THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THE MOHMI OPENLY, ALBEIT NOT PUBLICLY, ADMITTED A LACK OF AI PREPAREDNESS AND THE NEED TO ENHANCE THE GOTX'S CAPACITY TO COMBAT A POTENTIAL AI PANDEMIC. THIS COULD POTENTIALLY BE THE FIRST STEP, ALTHOUGH THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AMERICAS DESK CHIEF SERDAR BASHIMOV TOLD DCM ON MARCH 2 THAT IT WOULD BE A MISTAKE TO LINK AI PREPAREDNESS ASSISTANCE TO THE WILLINGNESS OF THE GOTX TO OPENLY REPORT EVIDENCE OF AI. END COMMENT. JACOBSON