TAJIKISTAN INTERNATIONAL DONORS PREPARE FOR AVIAN FLU

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DUSHANBE 000474

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR SCA/CEN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL KFLU ECON EAGR EAID TBIO SENV KSTH WHO
SOCI, TI
SUBJECT: TAJIKISTAN INTERNATIONAL DONORS PREPARE FOR AVIAN FLU

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1. Although Tajikistan's government agencies are taking steps
to prevent Avian Influenza and control an outbreak, they lack
technical expertise and need assistance from international
organizations. At a poorly attended donor's meeting,
representatives from the United Nations Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) said the State Veterinary Service reported
its diagnostics and testing materials Russia donated have run
out. In addition to more diagnostic reagents, the official
inspectors need personal protection suits and government
employees need training in new techniques of detecting,
monitoring, and handling an outbreak. To date, Tajikistan has
no reported incidents of Avian Influenza.


2. The Tajik Ministry of Health and Ministry of Agriculture
have endorsed a draft of the National Comprehensive Plan of
Action on Preventing and Control of Avian Influenza; however,
donors agreed the plan needs improvement and is incomplete. The
State Veterinary Services also is drafting a separate Avian
Influenza plan, independent of the Ministry of Agriculture's
plan. At this point, individual departments are adopting their
own plans because the bureaucracy involved in approving a plan
signed off by President Rahmonov would take too long.


3. Experts fear that spring bird migration patterns could put
Tajikistan at high risk for Avian Influenza. Tajikistan borders
at least one affected country. Notably, China has reported
cases along its western border near Tajikistan. A park ranger
at Tigrovaya Balka National Park on Tajikistan's southern border
with Afghanistan, commented that he fears birds migrating
through the park from Afghanistan would bring Avian Influenza
into Tajikistan. He told PolOff he had raised this with the
State Veterinary Service, and requested more funding for
monitoring stations, but it ignored his warnings.


4. Tajikistan's government has not always been forthcoming with
information about disease outbreaks and deliberately covers up
outbreaks. If a case of Avian Influenza were to occur in
Tajikistan, the government may not inform the international
community. Farmers also have no incentive to inform
authorities. As policy now stands, the government offers no
compensation for the loss of a poultry flock. FAO estimates up
to 80 percent of the domestic fowl in Tajikistan are "backyard
flocks." Families detecting sick birds, without promise of
compensation, would be most likely to try to sell them at local
markets.


5. International Finance Corporation's Paul Heidloff, an
agriculture specialist who has developed poultry vaccination and
quarantine programs over the past fifteen years, is advising the
World Bank to assist Tajikistan to establish strategic
preventative measures. Heidloff said the World Bank is
considering providing Tajikistan with a grant to reimburse
farmers for destroyed flocks and monitoring assistance. The
government needs to monitor both commercial and village farms
weekly and should work to explain the importance of Avian
Influenza and seek the farms' full cooperation. If a full
outbreak were to occur, Tajikistan would need to cull 25% of its
birds and compensate farmers approximately $5 million for
destroyed poultry.


6. FAO has taken the lead on coordinating donor activity and
keeping the international community informed on Avian Influenza
activities. FAO and the World Health Organization (WHO) have
set up a joint technical task force on Avian Influenza to
support coordination among Tajikistan's various government
agencies dealing with Avian Influenza. FAO's top priorities
include setting up an Avian Influenza Unit, establishing a
poultry monitoring network throughout Tajikistan, upgrading
diagnostics facilities, and implementing more sensitive testing

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methods. FAO will conduct a full assessment of Avian Influenza
risks in Tajikistan and advise the government to change its
contingency plans based on FAO findings.


7. COMMENT: No coordinated national action plan or plan of
contingency exists for President Rahmonov, which indicates that
Avian Influenza remains a priority only for the relevant
ministries and not at the presidential or senior adviser level.
The Tajik government from the top down needs to engage with
international organizations. Tajikistan relies heavily on
international donors to assist in all Avian Influenza efforts,
including testing and training inspectors. The Ministry of
Health requested assistance from the United States to fund
training programs for its officials. USAID has submitted the
proposal for funding. END COMMENT.
HOAGLAND