AVIAN INFLUENZA UPDATE: EMBASSY CONVENES AIWG,

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 000208 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR AIAG, NEA/ARP, NEA/RA; MED FOR AMCFADDEN; CAIRO FOR LINDA LOGAN; AMMAN FOR MANU BHALLA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AMED CASC KFLU TBIO KU SUBJECT: AVIAN INFLUENZA UPDATE: EMBASSY CONVENES AIWG, PRESENTS PREPAREDNESS PLAN ¶1. Summary: Embassy's medical unit and medical units from Army Central Command (ARCENT) and 386 Air Expeditionary Wing (386 AEW) presented their Avian Influenza preparedness plans at the Avian Influenza Working Group (AIWG) meeting on February 7. Participants discussed areas of collaboration and ways to modify each plan based on the other plans presented. The group decided to invite relevant GOK officials to the next AIWG meeting to discuss GOK AI planning. The group also decided to meet with representatives from the United Nations, WHO and other international organizations that work in Kuwait on AI issues. Post also held AI preparedness information sessions for the Embassy community on February 3. On January 31, embassy met with U.S. military AI expert, who highlighted Kuwait's lack of capabilities in handling an AI outbreak. End Summary. Coordinating U.S. Military and Embassy Plans and Resources -------------- -------------- ¶2. Econoff convened the mission's first AIWG meeting of the year on February 7. Embassy's medical unit presented its AI preparedness plan to the group, which includes medical officers from ARCENT, 386 AEW, Office of Military Cooperation - Kuwait(OMC-K),and other sections of the Embassy. Embassy's plan includes early prevention measures and shelter-in-place as important components. ARCENT, based at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, also presented its plan, which highlighted similar measures. 386 AEW, based at Ali Al-Salem Airbase, outlined its plan for supporting ARCENT and the embassy in case of an outbreak. This meeting was the first step towards collaborating on a joint plan that identifies roles of the various USG elements in Kuwait in case of an outbreak. ¶3. The AIWG decided that, in order to create a comprehensive plan, we need to know more about GOK AI planning and tripwires. (Note: Embassy has contacted GOK officials in the Ministry of Health (MOH) and Public Authority for Agriculture Affairs and Fisheries Resources (PAAAFR) to discuss GOK's AI plan. We believe the GOK does not have a comprehensive, written plan to handle a pandemic flu or avian flu outbreak. End Note). The group decided to invite MOH and PAAAFR officials to the next AIWG meeting, to be held in late March, �0A;to discuss AI planning. This will be an opportunity for the embassy to present its plan to the GOK and encourage the GOK to prepare its own comprehensive plan. The group also decided to invite UN and WHO officials to a future AIWG meeting. Educating the Embassy Community -------------- ¶4. On February 3, in an effort to improve awareness and education regarding Pandemic Influenza and AI, embassy's medical unit held two information sessions for the embassy community in which the medical unit staff outlined the risks of AI and provided an overview of the embassy's plan. These sessions served as useful tools for educating the community about potential risks and dispelling fears that many members of the community had about such an outbreak. Due to the success of these meetings, the medical unit has decided to expand these sessions to local international schools and other interested communities. Regional Experts Visit -------------- ¶5. On January 31, econoff and embassy medical unit met with Navy LT Douglas Searles, Biochemist and AI/PI Molecular Diagnostic Expert from Navy Medical Research Unit (NAMRU)-Cairo and LCDR Danny Shaiu, Naval Officer in Charge of Preventive Medicine Unit, ARCENT, to discuss avian influenza preparedness in Kuwait. LT Searles was sent to Pakistan during the outbreak in late December 2007 to test a reported human-to-human transmission case. LT Searles discussed lessons learned from the Pakistan outbreak and ways to improve capabilities in Kuwait to deal with a possible Avian Influenza (AI) or Pandemic Flu outbreak. Education and rapid response are the two critical aspects of dealing effectively with a Pandemic outbreak, he said. Kuwaiti government officials need to be trained in technical aspects of dealing with a pandemic and responding quickly to an outbreak. ¶6. LT Searles was on a four-day visit (January 27-31) to Kuwait to identify GOK assets and capacity in dealing with Pandemic or Avian Flu. He visited local laboratories, KUWAIT 00000208 002 OF 002 Ministry of Health facilities, and government and private hospitals during his visit. Lack of adequate laboratories, technical experts, and health facilities remain critical problems in Kuwait. NAMRU-Cairo resources may be available to train GOK medical officials. NAMRU may also be able to provide expertise to the GOK to develop and establish internationally certified laboratories in Kuwait. Embassy will work to identify relevant GOK officials for training and for improving laboratory capabilities. ********************************************* * For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/?cable s Visit Kuwait's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/ ********************************************* * MISENHEIMER