EXERCISING AVIAN FLU RESPONSE PLANS IN ARMENIA

UNCLAS YEREVAN 000508 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/CARC, G/AIAG E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: TBIO EARG KFLU AM SUBJECT: EXERCISING AVIAN FLU RESPONSE PLANS IN ARMENIA REF: STATE 50514 Sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly. ¶1. (U) This cable, a response to reftel, details the GOAM's recent actions to improve avian influenza (AI) preparedness, test existing response plans and improve diagnostic and response capacity. On March 27, the World Health Organization (WHO) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO),with financial support from USAID, jointly organized a one-day AI tabletop simulation exercise. The simulation included representatives from the Ministries of Health and Agriculture and other key agencies who are responsible for responding in the event of an AI outbreak. It was evident from the simulation, that Armenia's response capacity for an AI outbreak in birds is much more well developed than its capacity to respond to a human outbreak. The GOAM is working to redress the latter deficiency and we expect to see improvement in the near future. -------------- GROWING AGRICULTURAL RESPONSE CAPACITY -------------- ¶2. (U) Armenia has significantly improved its ability to respond to a bird AI outbreak. Thanks to a project with USAID, the Agriculture Ministry has two equipped rapid-response vehicles which can be deployed in the event of a suspected outbreak for sampling and quarantine purposes and a functioning PCR-equipped central veterinary lab to confirm field diagnostics. The GOAM has also committed to sending samples to an international laboratory if needed; it prefers to use the Vladimir lab in Russia over the Wheybridge lab in the U.K. The Agricultural Ministry also collaborated closely with USDA, USAID, and the FAO to provide extensive training and equipment to local veterinarians on AI diagnostics and response. -------------- LIMITED HUMAN RESPONSE CAPACITY -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Armenia's response plan in the event of a human AI outbreak is much less well developed. In effect, health authorities have no real response plan. To date, they have focused more on commodity requests from international donors than on concrete operational readiness. Some staff from the Health Ministry have participated in international trainings on AI response but local health care providers need additional training in diagnostics, treatment and crisis response to react properly to a suspected outbreak. As a follow-up to the AI simulation exercise held on March 27, WHO conducted a workshop in Yerevan from April 11-12 to help hospital directors better understand the WHO's role in the event of a human outbreak and to provide practical examples of hospital preparedness planning. The Health Ministry is concerned that it would have to rely on private labs for in-country human health diagnostics. The CDC recently awarded a USD 350,000 grant to the Health Ministry to improve its AI diagnostic and response capacity. -------------- --- COMMUNICATIONS: SPREADING INFORMATION, NOT ALARM -------------- --- ¶4. (U) While Armenia has yet to have a diagnosed case of H5N1 in either birds or humans, outbreaks in neighboring countries caused public concern that peaked in March and April 2006. During that time, many farmers killed their backyard poultry flocks and the commercial poultry industry virtually collapsed. Since then, the GOAM, with support from UNICEF, WHO and USAID, has worked to ensure that the Armenian public and farmers are well informed without creating undue alarm. UNICEF has produced flyers and posters with public health and sanitation messages for local schools. The Agriculture Ministry, with support from USAID, has developed a bilingual website (www.birdflu.am) with information on how to mitigate the risks of the disease and protect bird populations. The National Program should be posted on this site in the coming days. On March 30, the Agriculture Ministry and USAID also held a training session for 40 journalists on AI, so that their reporting could be more factual and less sensationalist than it has been in the past. GODFREY