VIETNAM - JUNE 9 AVIAN INFLUENZA REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 001420 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 (EBRYAN) 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 - JUNE 9 AVIAN INFLUENZA REPORT HANOI 00001420 001.2 OF 002 SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED REF: HANOI 1280 AND PREVIOUS ¶1. (SBU) Summary. On June 2, the Government of Vietnam (GVN) and World Bank hosted a joint government-donor meeting in support of the Vietnam Integrated Operational (IO) Program for Avian and Human Influenza for the period 2006- ¶2010. The donors pledged USD 61 million over three years of a total estimated of USD 250 million over five years. The Mission Avian Influenza Working Group in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City participated in a table top exercise responding to an AI pandemic scenario. The exercise was designed to identify gaps in the Mission`s tripwires and plans for ordered departure or sheltering in place. State media reported that the national poultry vaccination campaign is behind schedule while the MARD encouraged the poultry sector to ramp up production after losses incurred during 2003- ¶2005. The GVN continues to report no AI outbreaks in poultry or humans over the past six months. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) On June 2, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and the World Bank hosted a joint government-donor meeting in support of the Vietnam Integrated Operational Program for Avian and Human Influenza for the period 2006-2010 (dubbed "the Green Book"). The meeting was chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and attended by Minister of MARD Dr. Cao Duc Phat, Minister of Health Ms. Tran Thi Trung Chien and over 30 representatives of international agencies, bilateral donors and international NGOs. ¶3. (SBU) The donor community commended the GVN for their strong commitment in reducing the threat of AI over the past six months and widely endorsed the contents of the Green Book, which is estimated to cost US$250 million over the period 2006-2010. While the GVN was hoping that the donor community would fill a USD 150 million five-year gap, the donors pledged USD 61 million over three years, with additional support available if an outbreak were to occur. A significant proportion of these funds were pledged by the World Bank and Asian Development Bank. The pledge statements did not include anticipated contributions from regional and global mechanisms to Vietnam (e.g., British support to the World Bank's global trust fund). The USAID country manager, representing the Mission, pledged USD 6.95 million in grants while other major bilateral donors, including Denmark, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom expressed that any support to AI would have to be reprogrammed from existing levels of development assistance to the GVN. ¶4. (SBU) Selected members of the Mission Avian Influenza Working Group in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City participated in a table top exercise responding to an avian influenza pandemic scenario. The exercise, which was conducted by digital video conference, was designed specifically to identify gaps in the Mission's tripwires and plans for ordered departure or sheltering in place. The exercise was viewed by most participants as a valuable preparedness tool and something to be repeated within the next six months HANOI 00001420 002.2 OF 002 prior to the onset of the next influenza season. ¶5. (U) Vietnamese state media reported that the national poultry vaccination campaign is behind schedule and that local government officials cite complacency and a shortage of funds as possible causes for the delay. As of June 4, 110.6 million poultry have been vaccinated of the 130 million planned to be vaccinated by the end of May in the latest round of vaccinations. ¶6. (U) State media reported on June 7 that Head of the Animal Husbandry Department of MARD Nguyen Dang Vang is encouraging the poultry sector to ramp up production after losses associated with AI and subsequently higher prices. In comparing the poultry industry figures from 2003 to 2005, the number of chickens has decreased from 254 million to 219 million, while the population of ducks and geese fell from 69 million to 60 million and number of chicken eggs dropped from 4.7 billion to 3.9 billion over the same period. ¶7. (U) As of June 9, 2006: -- No human AI deaths since October 29, 2005 -- No human AI cases since November 14, 2005 -- No AI outbreaks in poultry since the last reported incident on Dec. 17, 2005 in Cao Bang Province Boardman