ONE STEP FORWARD, TWO STEPS BACK; FEBRUARY 20

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAKU 000280 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/CACEN, EUR/PGI, MED, AND OES DEPT PLEASE PASS USAID AND USDA/FAS ANKARA FOR AG COUNSELLOR AND ATTACHE ROME FOR FAO REPRESENTATIVE GENEVA FOR HEALTH ATTACHE E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/21/2016 TAGS: EAGR KFLU EAID PGOV ASEC CASC AJ SUBJECT: ONE STEP FORWARD, TWO STEPS BACK; FEBRUARY 20 AVIAN FLU MEETING WITH THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE REF: BAKU 257 Classified By: Ambassador Reno L. Harnish III per 1.4 (b,d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: At a February 20 briefing for the diplomatic corps on avian influenza, Azerbaijani Minister of Agriculture Abbasov reviewed the steps the GOAJ has taken and reported that the GOAJ's revised action plan had been submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers. Abbasov said the GOAJ now has the capability to test AI samples in Azerbaijan, a capability USAID experts dispute. The Minister also distributed a list of items the GOAJ says it needs to fight AI, most of which are capital investments for the overhaul of labs and are not required to manage the AI outbreak. Ambassador and other diplomats pressed the GOAJ to conduct quarantines, address poultry producers directly, and run a public awareness campaign. Unfortunately, Deputy Prime Minister Abbasov (chair of the newly established AI committee) has criticized USG-produced public service announcements on AI, instructing the Ministry of Health that PSAs must focus on the message that the "situation is under control." The GOAJ still is not taking AI seriously; Ambassador will seek an opportunity to raise this issue with Presidential Chief of Staff Ramiz Mehdiyev. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) At a February 20 briefing for the diplomatic corps on Avian Influenza (AI),Minister of Agriculture Abbasov reviewed the steps that Azerbaijan has taken over the past year to deal with AI, including the ban of poultry from countries where confirmed cases of the H5N1 virus had occurred. Additionally, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has recently dedicated USD 760,000 (3.8 billion Azeri Manats) from the State Oil Fund to the AI issue, some of which was used to purchase personal protective equipment (PPE) and veterinary drugs. Abbasov also reported that the recently established "State Committee for Preventing Avian Influenza" had submitted a new action plan to the Cabinet of Ministers. The plan would not be available for review by the international community until the relevant line ministries have commented on the plan. ¶3. (SBU) Abbasov was quick to thank the international community and particularly the U.S. embassy in facilitating the testing of 54 samples of suspected AI fowl cases at the Waybridge laboratory in the UK. Abbasov said that Azerbaijan now has a PCR testing machine which will more easily facilitate the testing of samples in Azerbaijan, and reported that two Azerbaijani experts have received international training and are able to use the machinery. (NOTE: Specialists from USAID who have met and worked with these specialists insist that they are not able to properly run the PCR equipment. END NOTE.) Abbasov then continued to outline the organizational structure of the Veterinary Service in Azerbaijan, and highlighted the poor condition of the Azerbaijani Veterinary Service due to Azerbaijan's "recession" after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Abbasov appealed to the assembled ambassadors for aid in rebuilding laboratories and providing training for Azerbaijani scientists abroad. ¶4. (SBU) Building on the point that the Azerbaijani Veterinary Service needed rebuilding, the Minister distributed a "wish list" of things that the Veterinary Service is seeking the international community's help in obtaining. While the two-page list was titled "Items which are requested for the State Veterinary Service under the Ministry of Agriculture for the fight against bird flu", almost none of the items on the list had anything to do with the many affirmative steps that have been urged by the international community. In terms of "equipment," items on the list included four PSR devices, 24 ELIZA-immune ferment reaction devices, 2 mobile labs, 60 "DUC auto transport-disinfection automobile of Kamarov", 50 Niva cars, 75 "26C" refrigerators, 75 pieces of lab furniture, 752 pieces of "buddy seat for district veterinary posts," 2,000 "special dresses for long term use," thousands of gloves, shoe covers, head covers and test tubes, a semi-automatic mud-guard, 10 tons of chlorinated lime, 5000 respirators, and 30 "incubators for 300-500 eggs." The second page contained BAKU 00000280 002 OF 002 a request for USD 8.2 million for the construction and/or renovation of 30 State Veterinary Enterprises. ¶5. (SBU) During the question and answer session, several diplomats including Ambassador Harnish asked questions or delivered points about the need for proper quarantine, sampling, testing, surveillance and public relations/public awareness. Ambassador Harnish delivered three specific points to the group, which post has been stressing to the GOAJ for several weeks. First, the Ambassador stressed the importance of an active surveillance program, noting that it is not wise to wait for farmers to call the MOA to have their dead birds tested; instead, the MOA needs to be engaged in testing countrywide. Second, the GOAJ must address poultry producers directly. As there are only 15 poultry producers in Azerbaijan, the government needs to discuss culling and inoculation of these flocks. Third, the Ambassador noted the importance of a stepped up public relations campaign. This is even more important given that fear of I is beginning to affect the economy, with the price of eggs going down and the price of non-poultry meat, such as beef and lamb increasing. The Minister responded that these were important points, but was reluctant to comment as the action plan was in the coordination stage and implied that the action plan would address these issues. The minister also stated that, as of February 20, no place with confirmed cases of H5N1 had been quarantined. ¶6. (C) The Turkish Ambassador made several statements at the briefing that ran counter to post's and the international community's message to the GOAJ. The Turkish Ambassador said that AI was a many sided problem and was not a dangerous disease for humans to contract. He stated that prophylactic measures were simple and could be easily implemented should it be necessary. Of the four people that died in Turkey, they were children who died more from "ignorance" and "lack of medical attention", because their parents did not get them medical attention quickly enough. He continued that prophylactic measures practiced "with a vengeance" were not useful and only raised undue panic. Finally, if simple measure are practiced, such as washing hands and wearing gloves, the risk of AI would be greatly reduced. Most interestingly, the Turkish Ambassador lamented that the only real threat to commercial poultry was "domestic poultry in the open" and that the "integrated poultry industries were being decimated". Because of this he warned those present to be careful about the kind of message they are sending out because the "integrated poultry industry does not deserve this." He further suggested that it would be useful to "certify" certain poultry producers who were found to be safe. ¶7. (C) The international community's efforts to promote public awareness through public service announcements hit a roadblock in the form of Deputy Prime Minister Abbas Abbasov, who also serves as chair of the newly established state committee on AI (ref). While post has been successful in getting one PSA which played frequently in both television and radio, Abbasov has vetoed another PSA produced by UNICEF, stating that the message focused too much on prevention. Abbasov informed the Minister of Health that only messages such as "the situation is fully under government control", "no flu case among local chickens", and "let's not make a panic in our community" were acceptable. ¶8. (C) COMMENT: After initial guarded optimism on February 17 with the creation of the State Committee on AI, it seems the GOAJ still is not taking AI seriously. The GOAJ's wish list for combating AI is essentially a capital improvement plan for the State Veterinary Service and does not reflect what is required to manage the current AI outbreak. Ambassador plans to meet with Presidential Chief of Staff Ramiz Mehdiyev to urge prompt GOAJ action. We also will continue to press the GOAJ for quick release of the national plan, so we can review and forward to Washington any assistance needs. END COMMENT. HARNISH