VIETNAM - MAY 26 AVIAN INFLUENZA REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 001280 SIPDIS STATE FOR G, CA/OCS/ACS/EAP, EAP/EX, EAP/MLS, EAP/EP, INR, OES/STC (PBATES),OES/IHA (DSINGER AND NCOMELLA),AND MED STATE PASS TO USAID FOR ANE AND GH (DCARROLL, SCLEMENTS AND PCHAPLIN) STATE PASS TO USTR(DBISBEE) STATE PASS TO HHS/OGHA (WSTIEGER, EELVANDER AND ABHAT) USDA PASS TO APHIS DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE FOR OSD/ISA/AP (LSTERN) BANGKOK FOR RMO, CDC, USAID (MFRIEDMAN, JMACARTHUR AND MBRADY) ROME FOR FAO SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: TBIO KFLU AMED AMGT CASC EAGR PINR SOCI VM SUBJECT: VIETNAM - MAY 26 AVIAN INFLUENZA REPORT HANOI 00001280 001.2 OF 002 SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - DO NOT POST ON INTERNET REF: A. HANOI 1194 AND PREVIOUS ¶1. (SBU) Summary: UN Secretary General Kofi Annan met with members of Vietnam's National Steering Committee on Avian Influenza (AI),as well as bilateral and multilateral donors, on May 24 at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD). The GVN gave an overview of the course AI in Vietnam and an update on GVN strategies to fight it. Donors praised the GVN's leadership on the issue and its success in containing AI, but cautioned that the threat is not over. Annan lauded the GVN's leadership and agreed that governments cannot be complacent about the AI threat. At a meeting on May 23, National Institute of Hygiene and Epidiomology (NIHE) Director Nguyen Tran Hien informed the Health Attache that NIHE had received approval to proceed with clinical trials for its human H5N1 vaccine. Agronomes et Vtrinaires Sans Frontiers posted the final report of a USAID-funded project designed to provide animal health stakeholders with accurate information on AI. There were no new outbreaks of AI in humans or poultry. The GVN continues the poultry vaccination program. End summary. Kofi Annan Meets with National Steering Committee on AI and Donors -------------- -------------- ¶2. (SBU) UN Secretary General Kofi Annan met with members of Vietnam's National Steering Committee on AI and bilateral and multilateral donors on May 24 at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD). MARD Minister Cao Duc Phat provided an overview of the course of the epidemic c in Vietnam, which began in late 2003. MARD Vice Minister Bui Ba Bong provided details on the GVN's efforts to control the epidemic among poultry, cooperation with UN agencies and donors and plans to move from emergency response to a long- term plan. Ministry of Health (MOH) Vice Minister Le Ngoc Trong gave an overview of GVN preparations on the human health side, including plans to develop and produce a human H5N1 vaccine. (Note: This information has been previously shared with donors and reported by Post. End Note.) ¶3. (SBU) In their comments, donors credited the GVN's strong initiative, leadership, and both inter-departmental cooperation and coordination with donors for the success in controlling the spread of AI to date. Lessons learned for other countries include: quick implementation of a response plan; coordinated leadership and partnership with the donor community; and, compensation to farmers that lost at least part of their livelihood as a result of culling. Donors cautioned, however, that the virus could re-emerge, and stressed the need to continue with structural improvements both in surveillance capacity and commercializing the poultry sector. WHO Representative Hans Troedsson stated that it is too early to conclude this is a success story; Vietnam must continue with its strategic approach to fighting the H5N1 virus, as this will enable Vietnam to fight similar diseases should they emerge, he said. HANOI 00001280 002.2 OF 002 ¶4. (SBU) Annan applauded GVN efforts and leadership, and thanked both GVN speakers and the donors for the "reality check" they provided. The international community cannot be complacent on AI, as the threat of an epidemic remains. Annan said it is clear that international cooperation is critical if pandemics are to be prevented from developing. At the last World Summit, countries accepted a broader definition of what constitutes a threat to security, including infectious diseases, poverty, environmental degradation, WMD, terrorism, and internationally organized crime. Annan added that SARS had raised awareness among governments to the threat of infectious diseases, and that in addition to governments, the private sector, civil society, and community groups needed to prepare to fight them. Other -------------- ¶5. (U) Agronomes et Vtrinaires Sans Frontiers posted the final report of a project designed to provide animal health stakeholders with accurate information on AI that was supported by USAID through AED. The report is entitled "Training of Field Public & Private Veterinarians and Veterinary Paraprofessionals on Avian Influenza and Dissemination of the Manual `Prevention and Control of Avian Influenza in Small scale Poultry' in Vietnam," and is available at www.livestockworkinggroup.org. ¶6. (SBU) At a meeting on May 23, National Institute of Hygiene and Epidiomology (NIHE) Director Nguyen Tran Hien informed the Health Attache that NIHE had received approval l to proceed with clinical trials for its human H5N1 vaccine. This vaccine is based on a virus seed strain from Vietnam grown on primary monkey kidney cells. The Director said that NIHE is collaborating with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on developing a protocol for clinical trials, which should start in July or August, 2006. NIHE plans to conduct preliminary tests on 30 volunteers before entering the second phase of testing on 300 people. The trials should be completed in August 2007. Vietnamese media reported on the development. The vaccine has been in a development stage for over 18 months. NIHE is one of three organizations at MOH working to develop an H5N1 vaccine. ¶7. (U) As of May 24, 2006: -- No human AI deaths since October 29, 2005 -- No human AI cases since November 14, 2005 (Note: This GVN official date is five days later than date previously reported in reftel. End note.) -- No AI outbreaks in poultry since the last reported incident on December 17, 2005 in Cao Bang Province The poultry vaccination program continues. BOARDMAN