BIRD FLU: BANGLADESH PERMITS INTERNATIONAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L DHAKA 000608 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT PLEASE PASS TO AIAG/HOLLIS SUMMERS, AIAG/TONY NEWTON AND AIAG/NICHOLAS STUDZINSKI NEW DELHI PLEAES PASS TO FAS/OLIVER FLAKE E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/16/2017 TAGS: TBIO KFLU EAID PREL PGOV BG SUBJECT: BIRD FLU: BANGLADESH PERMITS INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE REF: A. DHAKA 569 ¶B. DHAKA 533 ¶C. AND PREVIOUS Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Geeta Pasi; Reason 1.4(d) ¶1. (SBU) Summary. The GOB agreed April 9 to allow foreign technical advisors to assist with the Avian Influenza response. This breakthrough opens the door for multilateral and bilateral assistance to implement the recommendations reported in ref (A). END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) Early Assessment: Within days of the March 22 public announcement of the outbreak, the US Department of Agriculture proposed sending two avian influenza specialists from the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization's Crisis Management Center. The GOB initially rejected this offer, but has subsequently reconsidered. On April 4 Dr. Laurence Gleeson, Regional Manager of the Food and Agriculture Organization's Emergency Center for Transboundary Animal Diseases visited Bangladesh to provide a technical assessment and recommendations (septel). Although Dr. Gleeson's April 7 report to the GOB was coolly received at first by Advisor for Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock Dr. C. S. Karim, on April 9 the GOB authorized the rapid deployment of foreign avian influenza experts to provide technical assistance. ¶3. (SBU) Donor Actions: USAID Mission Director Carlson met with Ministry of Finance officials to follow up on the Ambassador's offer to use local currency accounts which could be used in the avian influenza response. This, combined with FAO's Dr. Gleeson briefing his assessment and recommendations to Dr. Karim and a World Bank representative meeting with the Chief Adviser which touched on avian influenza, were key events where the donor community directly interacted with the GOB. Several one-on-one interactions relating to avian influenza also played a part in clearing this logjam, including USAID Mission Director Roger Carlson's meeting with a World Bank regional representative, as well as the Ambassador's meeting with the UN Development Program's Resident Representative, and UN Resident Coordinator, Renata Lok Dessallien. ¶4. (C) Internal Pressure: Advisor Karim chairs the National Advisory Committee under Bangladesh's National Response Plan until a human H5N1 infection is confirmed, when the Health Advisor Dr. Maj. Gen. A.S.M. Matiur Rahman (retired) becomes chairman. Dr. Rahman reportedly wanted to get the donor community more involved in the avian influenza response from the start. Rahman's preference for working along the lines favored by the donor community -- protecting humans by working aggressively to prevent H5N1's spread among animals -- may be a part of the reason for the GOB's new approach. ¶5. (SBU) USG Next Steps: USAID is moving to increase capacity here by bringing veterinary epidemiologist Dr. Zandra Andre, who visited Bangladesh in December 2006. She will likely focus on "train the trainer" events for personal protective equipment, technical review of proposals USAID has received for avian influenza response, and technical assistance through work with FAO's Crisis Management Center experts on the outbreak's epidemiology. DAO is working to bring subject matter experts to Bangladesh this summer to work with the Bangladesh military regarding avian influenza. BUTENIS