AVIAN FLU UPDATE: USG SUPPORT FOR IMPROVED

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 YEREVAN 000268 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR OES, EUR/CARC - DSTAVROPOULOS, EUR/PGI - CCONNORS PLEASE PASS TO USAID - NBLANCHET E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KFLU TBIO ECON SENV AM SUBJECT: AVIAN FLU UPDATE: USG SUPPORT FOR IMPROVED PREPAREDNESS REF: A) STATE 23826 B) 05 YEREVAN 2197 C) YEREVAN 27 D) YEREVAN 208 E) YEREVAN 113 YEREVAN 00000268 001.2 OF 003 This cable is sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly. -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (SBU) Although there are still no reported cases of AI in Armenia, the government has begun to take steps to prepare. Motivation for the GOAM's new level of action has come not only from increasing AI reports from neighbors, but also from strong international community pressure, with the USG at the forefront. This mission has been working with the government since August 2005 to raise awareness about avian influenza (AI) and increase the government's level of preparedness to respond to any possible outbreak. In line with the actions suggested in ref A, we were the first member of the international donor community to fully engage with the GOAM on AI related issues and continue to play a leadership role both in encouraging appropriate GOAM action and in facilitating good coordination between members of the international donor community. ¶2. (SBU) The USG has been particularly active in the agricultural sector, sponsoring an avian flu expert to assess agricultural preparedness in November 2005, and per that expert's advice, providing training and equipment to help the GOAM establish an active surveillance system. The World Bank has agreed to purchase additional testing supplies to support the program developed by our AI expert. We have also agreed to fund a culling expert's trip to Armenia, and the World Bank has indicated that they are planning to make procurement decisions drawing on the U.S. culling expert's advice. On the communications front, we continue to work closely with UNICEF, the lead organization on public outreach efforts, and we have agreed to distribute certain education materials which UNICEF developed in coordination with the Ministries of Health and Education. The Ambassador has prioritized public outreach to the Mission community, Americans living in Armenia and the general public, to ensure that people are aware of the threat posed by AI and appropriate measures they can take to minimize the risk. End Summary. -------------- ON-GOING, HIGH-LEVEL ENGAGEMENT WITH THE GOAM -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Since August 2005, we have regularly raised the issue of AI with the GOAM at the highest levels. The Ambassador has discussed AI preparedness with the Foreign Minister and the Ministers of HEALTH and Agriculture. On February 15, the Ambassador raised the issue with the Prime Minister and the two discussed the threat posed by the spring bird migration season, the need to protect domestic fowl from coming into contact with wild birds and the serious impact the threat of AI has had on the poultry industry in Armenia. The Ambassador also raised AI at the USATF mid-term review held on February 17 (septel). We meet on a regular basis with the Ministers of Agriculture and HEALTH to discuss AI and the USG Interagency Team which visited Armenia in late January (refs D and E) met with the Minster of Education to discuss ways to increase public awareness about AI and to better protect public health. On February 21, we met with the Deputy Minister of Defense to discuss how best to protect Armenian troops and their families and the possible role the military might play in responding to an AI outbreak. At the Ministry of Defense's request, we are organizing a joint meeting of the WHO, Ministry of HEALTH and Ministry of Defense to further discuss these issues. -------------- - STRONG AND EFFECTIVE COLLABORATION WITH DONORS -------------- - ¶4. (SBU) The USG has taken a leadership role in coordinating donor activities related to AI. We are spearheading international donor efforts to assist the GOAM in combating AI in the agricultural sector. We also work closely with the WHO and UNICEF, the lead organizations on human AI HEALTH YEREVAN 00000268 002.2 OF 003 issues and public HEALTH outreach efforts, respectively. Strong internal coordination between the Embassy, USAID and USDA has allowed us to work with a unified voice. We also regularly discuss AI with all USG donors at our bi-monthly Assistance Coordination Group meetings. As a result of our good communications with the government and donors, we have established fruitful collaborations, especially with the World Bank. For example, USAID-funded AI expert Dr. Elizabeth Krushinskie has traveled twice to Armenia in the past few months to assist with AI preparedness in the agricultural sector. ONE of Krushinskie's key recommendations was that the GOAM establish an active surveillance system to test for the disease. We coordinated with local representatives and a visiting team of experts from the World Bank to develop a joint program whereby Krushinskie provided training and 20 samples of rapid test kits to the GOAM and the World Bank agreed to support the purchase of 60 additional test kits according to Krushinskie's specifications. Each kit can be used to test up to 20 suspect cases. Krushinskie also provided training to the GOAM on sample collection and shipping techniques and provided the Ministry of Agriculture with 40 reusable shipping containers to send samples to international reference laboratories as appropriate. USDA has agreed to sponsor two of Armenia's top laboratory technicians who work on AI issues to attend an AI testing and sample shipment training workshop in Ames, Iowa. ¶5. (SBU) We are also collaborating with the World Bank on preparations for culling should it become necessary. The World Bank told us that they would like to provide equipment and supplies to support culling in Armenia as appropriate. The Bank indicated that they could procure related equipment relatively quickly once Armenia's needs were fully identified. USAID agreed to sponsor a technical expert in culling to assess current capacity and educate the GOAM on appropriate culling methods. The World Bank plans to use the recommendations made by USAID's expert to determine what supplies and equipment it will provide. USAID has identified a culling expert, Dr. Dan Karunkaran, who is tentatively scheduled to travel in Armenia from March 15-26. The USG Interagency AI Team also donated 1,500 sets of personal protective equipment to the GOAM to be used by individuals involved in testing, culling, and treatment of human cases as needed (ref D). ¶6. (SBU) In addition to coordination between international donors on the policy level, there has also been strong coordination on the ground. For example, a USDA-sponsored agricultural NGO, the Center for Agricultural Research and Development (CARD),agreed to publish a UNICEF produced, and GOAM sanctioned, informational leaflet about AI in an agricultural journal which CARD distributes around the country, primarily to back-yard farmers in rural areas. USAID and UNICEF have also agreed to collaborate and a USAID health care implementor plans to distribute 10,000 copies of the UNICEF leaflet to rural communities. -------------- -------------- PUBLIC OUTREACH TO THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY AND BEYOND -------------- -------------- ¶7. (SBU) We have repeatedly reached out to both the Mission community (American and local staff) and to other Americans in Armenia to ensure that they are well-informed about the risks associated with AI, safe food handling and ways to protect their community. In response to the human AI deaths in Turkey, post's EAC met on January 5 (ref C). After discussing the issues laid out in Yerevan's AI Tripwires (ref B),Post decided to issue a Warden Message to American citizens (issued on January 5, available on Post's website www.usa.am). The HEALTH Practitioner sent similar materials about the AI outbreak to all members of the Mission community as well. Both the Ambassador and the DCM have spoken with the press about AI, public HEALTH and safe food handling and given television interviews which focused exclusively on AI. The USG Interagency Team held a press conference about AI on January 25 (ref E). On February 20, the CDA spoke at a public forum on Public HEALTH and AI at the American University of Armenia. Both events received broad coverage in the local media. We are also planning to update the community on AI at a Mission-wide town hall meeting scheduled YEREVAN 00000268 003.2 OF 003 for February 24. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶8. (SBU) Overall, USG and donor coordination on AI preparedness in Armenia has been and continues to be strong. There is wide-spread agreement within the donor community that Armenia needs to prioritize establishing an active agricultural surveillance program and preparing for the possibility of culling. Thanks to USG efforts and support, the GOAM has received training and supplies to begin an agricultural surveillance program and to send samples to an international reference lab as required. We expect that the GOAM will begin testing suspicious samples in the very near future. UNICEF has taken a leadership role on the communications front and we are pleased to continue to support their efforts. Taking advantage of the high profile the USG enjoys in Armenia we have also been able to raise awareness about AI and food safety. We will continue to work diligently to assist the GOAM in enhancing its ability to respond to the AI threat. EVANS