AVIAN INFLUENZA UPDATE: GOQ PLANNING

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DOHA 000677 SENSITIVE SIPDIS M/PRI FOR ROBIN MORRITZ E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: CASC AMED KFLU TBIO QA SUBJECT: AVIAN INFLUENZA UPDATE: GOQ PLANNING REF: 2007 DOHA 1134 -------------- (SBU) KEY POINTS -------------- -- Qatar is preparing for a pandemic influenza by stockpiling medical supplies and holding a series of inter-agency drills and committee meetings intended to harmonize GOQ efforts and identify shortcomings. -- Labor camps present the greatest danger for disease transmission due to crowding and poor sanitary conditions. -- Qatar has thus far not suffered any animal or human cases of H5N1, and has cut off the supply of poultry products from countries with active cases (reftel). -------------- (SBU) COMMENTS -------------- -- An actual outbreak would likely be accompanied by overwhelmed medical staff. Although billions of dollars in new investment is planned, the country's medical system is currently running near capacity with an ongoing shortage of medical professionals. -- The heavy dependence of the GOQ on third-country labor would likely present serious operational hindrances to its response as an outbreak affects those communities. -- The Embassy Pandemic Influenza Working Group continues to hold regular meetings, and the visiting RMO this month held a series of information seminars for mission personnel on pandemic influenza and how to stay prepared and healthy. END KEY POINTS AND COMMENTS. ¶1. (SBU) As part of Embassy's Pandemic Influenza Working Group preparedness efforts, Emboffs and medical representatives from Camp As-Sayliyeh and Al-Udeid Air Base met recently with Dr. Mohammad Al Thani, a Senior Medical Advisor at the National Health Authority (NHA) and Qatar's National Coordinator for Pandemic Influenza issues. This meeting followed earlier discussions of influenza issues with the Director of Public Health, Dr. Gail Chanpong, and the Civil Aviation Authority Vice Chairman, Ibrahim Abdulgadir. ¶2. (SBU) Al Thani reported that Qatar has stocks of Tamiflu and Relenza in sufficient supply for 35 percent of the population. (Note: Qatar's population has doubled to at least 1.5 million in the last four years and Al Thani did not reveal the total number of stocks on hand. Since the GOQ began medical stockpiling several years ago, the precise level of their medical supplies has been unclear and remains so). The GOQ has held several national-level, inter-agency drills on pandemic influenza. The most recent drill, in April 2008, focused on an outbreak where the virus arrives in Qatar via poultry and the GOQ tries to stop further imports and prevent local spread of the virus. (Note: The Rand Corporation has been involved in helping to plan and execute the drills). Qatar does have poultry farms but Al Thani asserted they are "highly monitored." Rumaila Hospital in Doha has been designated as the quarantine area if there are initial human cases, but any large-scale need for quarantine would immediately run into space constraints. Al Thani speculated that the GOQ would likely move to take over private hospitals to create additional room to meet such a need. ¶3. (SBU) Al Thani noted that the NHA is working on creating outbreak projections where "hot spots" of transmission would develop during an outbreak. He assessed that the industrial area outside of Doha and work camps at Ras Laffan and Mesaieed were the biggest concern, as crowding and poor sanitary conditions would likely amplify any outbreak. He concluded by noting that the GOQ plans its next national drill in December or January, a drill that will include the army and police. ¶4. (SBU) Separately, Chanpong told Emboffs Qatar has had several suspected cases of H5N1 in children. Medical teams investigated the cases and sent samples to Egypt for evaluation, but all results were negative. She also assessed that Qatar has prepared well by storing medical supplies (anti-virals and respirators),but the GOQ lacks an effective communication network within the government and to the broader community. Moreover, most medical resources, concentrated at Hamad Hospital in Doha, should be diversified DOHA 00000677 002 OF 002 to provide other layers of protection and response, according to Chanpong. ¶5. (SBU) Abdulgadir separately told Econoff that the New Doha International Airport (NDIA) will have specialized facilities for health screening and quarantine. (Note: The first phase of NDIA is projected to open by 2010 and will have capacity for 24 million passengers/year). Abdulgadir said the GOQ uses WHO guidelines for sick passengers on air travel, and the Civil Aviation Authority is working with airports from infected areas to create certification mechanisms to ensure that passengers are healthy before they board flights to Doha. LeBaron