Sudan - Avian Flu Sitrep No. 6, May 24, 2006

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 001228

SIPDIS

AIDAC
SIPDIS

STATE FOR AF/SPG, PRM, AND ALSO PASS USAID/W
USAID FOR DCHA SUDAN TEAM, AF/EA, DCHA
NAIROBI FOR USAID/DCHA/OFDA, USAID/REDSO, AND FAS
USMISSION UN ROME
GENEVA FOR NKYLOH
NAIROBI FOR SFO
NSC FOR JMELINE, TSHORTLEY
USUN FOR TMALY
BRUSSELS FOR PLERNER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID PREF PGOV PHUM SOCI KAWC SU
SUBJECT: Sudan - Avian Flu Sitrep No. 6, May 24, 2006

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Summary
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1. On May 21, 2006, the U. N. Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) office in Khartoum convened the second
Technical Task Force meeting on avian influenza (AI) in
Sudan. Though the Government of National Unity (GNU) has
acknowledged the presence of the highly pathogenic H5N1
strain of AI in Sudan, this information has not yet been
officially released to the public. Few AI outbreaks have
been reported during the last two weeks. Khartoum based
offices of FAO, the U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF),and the
U.N. World Health Organization (WHO) will present a joint
proposal on actions needed to mitigate and contain the AI
outbreak in Sudan to the international donor community on
May 28. End Summary.

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Recent Developments
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2. On May 21, 2006, FAO/Khartoum convened the second
meeting for the Sudan Technical Task Force on Avian
Influenza. This task force is composed of 11 member
organizations representing various U.N. agencies, Sudanese
government ministries, Sudan's poultry industry, and the
international donor community: FAO, WHO, UNICEF, Ministry
of Animal Resources (MoAR),Ministry of Health (MoH),
Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST),Ministry of
Finance (MoF),Sudan's Chamber of Commercial Poultry
Producers (CCPP),the World Bank, the Humanitarian Aid
Department of the European Commission (ECHO),and USAID.
Just five of the eleven member organizations attended the
meeting. Representatives from WHO, UNICEF, MoAR, MoH, MoF,
and PPCC were notably absent. FAO was assigned to contact
these organizations, particularly the government ministries,
to ensure their attendance at the next meeting. Members
present at the meeting approved terms of reference for the
task force, which had been presented at the group's first
meeting the week prior. As most of Sudan's poultry industry
is located in Khartoum, the task force agreed to invite a
representative from Khartoum State government to join the
task force.


3. Though Sudan's GNU has privately acknowledged the
presence of the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of AI in
Sudan, this information has not been released to the general
public. According FAO's consultant, few AI outbreaks have
been reported in Khartoum and Gezira States since May 7.
The consultant hypothesized that the marked drop in the
number of AI cases reported in recent weeks might be a
result of prevailing high daytime temperatures averaging 105
to 113 degrees Fahrenheit. However, the mode of AI
transmission in Sudan has not been definitively determined
and outbreaks at poultry farms south of Khartoum could occur
anytime.


4. Active disease surveillance is necessary to ensure early
detection of additional outbreaks. FAO's Nairobi-based East
Africa Regional Advisor for Coordination of Technical
Cooperation recently spent one week in Sudan kick-starting
the AI outbreak response implementation process. Khartoum
State has trained youth health educators in seven localities
to raise community awareness of AI prevention and control
measures. While local culling operations continue, workers
have not been provided with recommended personal protective
equipment (PPE) and no disease surveillance mechanisms for
workers is currently in place. Furthermore, the
government's failure to address the compensation issue is
likely providing a disincentive for farm owners to report
additional disease outbreaks.


5. USAID consultant Gavin Macgregor-Skinner briefed Allan
Reed, Director of USAID South Sudan Programs, on the AI
situation in Sudan and has proceeded to Nairobi for further
meetings. USAID plans to hire an additional Khartoum-based
AI consultant as soon as possible. Post takes this
opportunity to thank AID/W for Macgregor-Skinner's timely
and excellent contributions in supporting preparedness and
response to AI in Sudan.


KHARTOUM 00001228 002 OF 002


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Next Steps
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6. FAO, UNICEF, and WHO will present a joint proposal on
actions needed to mitigate and contain the AI outbreak in
Sudan to the international donor community on May 28.


7. The final USAID shipment of 2,000 sets of PPE is
expected to arrive in Khartoum (1,500) and Juba (500) in the
near future.

HUME