Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08KARACHI519
2008-09-10 06:14:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Consulate Karachi
Cable title:  

HHS SECRETARY LEAVITT'S MEETING WITH THE CHIEF MINISTER OF

Tags:  TBIO EAID PGOV PK SOCI KOCI 
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UNCLAS KARACHI 000519 

SENSITIVE
AIDAC
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO EAID PGOV PK SOCI KOCI PK
SUBJECT: HHS SECRETARY LEAVITT'S MEETING WITH THE CHIEF MINISTER OF
SINDH PROVINCE

UNCLAS KARACHI 000519

SENSITIVE
AIDAC
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO EAID PGOV PK SOCI KOCI PK
SUBJECT: HHS SECRETARY LEAVITT'S MEETING WITH THE CHIEF MINISTER OF
SINDH PROVINCE


1. (U) Summary: Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Michael Leavitt on August 20 met Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Chief Minister,
Sindh Province, and selected senior provincial officials. The
Secretary discussed the resurgence of polio in Sindh province and
steps the provincial government needed to take to control the
disease. Secretary Leavitt affirmed the long-term U.S. development
commitment to Pakistan and specifically offered HHS technical
assistance to attack the polio epidemic in Sindh. End summary.


2. (SBU) Chief Minister Shah stated that the previous government
had "ignored" Sindh, where the people suffered greatly from poverty,
economic disparity and crisis - and the people had supported
democracy in the last election, despite violence. The new
government must address social problems and help people in tangible
ways. He acknowledged that Pakistan needed development assistance,
especially for public and preventive health.


3. (U) Secretary Leavitt affirmed the U.S. commitment to helping
Pakistan and maintaining a long-standing friendship. He reported on
his discussions in Islamabad about ways of cultivating Pakistan's
drug and vaccine industry with Federal Minister of Health Sherry
Rehman. He also described his meetings at the Aga Khan University,
where he spoke with Pakistani researchers about their efforts to
develop innovations to improve health conditions (septel).

Political Life
--------------


4. (SBU) Secretary Leavitt asked what advice the Chief Minister
would give to those trying to organize the coalition government.
Chief Minister Shah, who described himself as "one of the most
senior politicians in Pakistan" replied that as a member of the PPP
and a citizen of Sindh, he would ask them to follow the advice of
Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto, to focus on education as the
basis for development. He said not enough attention went to the
social sectors, especially education and health. Secretary Leavitt
said he had seen worldwide how civil unrest resulted when people
lacked good health care.

Resurgence of Polio in Sindh
--------------


5. (SBU) Secretary Leavitt asked about progress in the province
against polio. The Chief Minister said the government had just
launched a new immunization campaign. Provincial Secretary of
Health Shafiq Khoso acknowledged that Sindh had eleven polio cases
so far this year, above the usual level of 4-5 cases, and praised
the participation of the Consul General in supporting the provincial
government's polio eradication efforts. Federal Health Ministry
Director General Dr. Rashid Jooma said the government's real problem
lay in the need to strengthen the management and administration of
the immunization campaigns. Secretary Leavitt offered help from HHS
to assist Pakistan's polio eradication efforts, especially in Sindh,
by providing training for immunization supervisors and to build the
capacity of provincial health authorities to manage more effective
immunization campaigns.


6. (SBU) USG officials attending the meeting:

-- HHS Secretary Michael O. Leavitt;
-- Consul General Kay Anske
-- William Steiger, Special Assistant to Secretary Leavitt for
International Health
-- Kathleen McDonald, Associate Director for Democracy and Health,
USAID/Pakistan


7. (SBU) The meeting included the following GOP officials:

-- Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Chief Minister, Sindh;
-- Syed Sohail Akbar Shah, Secretary to the Chief Minister;
-- Fazlur Rahman, Chief Secretary, Sindh;
-- Shafiq Khoso, Secretary of Health, Sindh;
-- Ayaz Soomro, Law Minister, Sindh;
-- Dr. Rashid Jooma, Director General, Federal Ministry of Health,
Islamabad


8. (U) This cable has not been cleared by Secretary Leavitt.

ANSKE