AZERBAIJAN: H1N1 STATUS AND PREPAREDNESS

UNCLAS BAKU 000618 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/CARC E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KFLU PREL AEMR CASC PINR AMGT SOCI ESTH AJ SUBJECT: AZERBAIJAN: H1N1 STATUS AND PREPAREDNESS ¶1. (SBU) Summary. On July 30, Azerbaijan disclosed its first two lab-confirmed cases of H1N1 flu, a 40 year-old woman who returned from a trip to France July 27 and a teenage boy who returned from a trip to the UK July 29. By August 1, the woman was released from the Baku Hospital of Lung Diseases and the boy was released shortly thereafter. Authorities have also tested two acquaintances of the boy who came down with fevers. In its public approach to the cases, the Ministry of Health has kept its statements factual and consistent with WHO advice. However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been more reactive and exceeded the international guidance by calling on citizens to avoid foreign travel. The government has monitoring measures in place at ports of entry, but our observations at Heydar Aliyev airport suggests there are inconsistencies in their application. Embassy has stockpiled 1,284 Tamiflu doses. The GOAJ has announced that it has 10,000 doses of antivirals on hand. End Summary. ¶2. (U) The GOAJ has confirmed two cases of H1N1 in Azerbaijani tourists returning from France and the UK. A 40-year-old woman returning directly to Baku from Paris self-reported her symptoms. An installed group thermal scanner at Heydar Aliyev airport detected the high fever of a teenage boy returning from London via Istanbul. Both were hospitalized and have already been released. Authorities placed the family members traveling with the two patients under observation but did not quarantine them. Two acquaintances of the boy were later tested after complaining of high fevers; the results of these tests are not yet known, however the government has not announced any positive results. Clinical investigation of the cases is the responsibility of the State Research Institute for Lung Diseases, the country's designated reference facility for pandemic influenza. ¶3. (SBU) The Ministry of Health has been publicly forthcoming about the cases and careful to avoid statements that would cause unnecessary panic. Its Pandemic Preparedness Plan was approved in August last year with assistance from WHO. On April 28, the State Commission on Pandemic Influenza held a meeting about H1N1 and activated the national plan, which requires the participation of the Presidential Administration and Prime Minister's office; the Ministries of Health, Agriculture, Economic Development, Ecology, Finance, Emergency Situations, Internal Affairs, and Foreign Affairs; the Customs Committee; and the State Border Service. ¶4. (U) USG collaboration with the WHO and the GOAJ in preparing the country for an outbreak of H1N1 took the form of a USAID-organized workshop on H1N1 flu for media representatives in June with the participation of the Azerbaijan Health Communications Association that featured discussion of the country's preparedness for an epidemic and the role of journalists in informing the public about preventive measures. ¶5. (SBU) The Ministry of Health reports that it has 10,000 doses of Tamiflu and we understand that it follows WHO recommendations regarding its use and administration. The Virology Laboratory of the State Anti-plague Station has only 100 test kits remaining and tests only those who are symptomatic in accordance with WHO recommendation for resource-limited countries. Due to rigid government budget and procurement processes, the Ministry of Health is unable to purchase additional test kits, and has asked WHO for assistance in acquiring more. Tamiflu is reportedly available at some pharmacies, but the extent of its availability is not known. ¶6. (SBU) Embassy Baku's Medical Unit has 1,284 doses of Tamiflu on hand. The Medical Officer has disseminated information to the Embassy community on managing mild cases of flu disease and on the warning signs of a more severe case. ¶7. (SBU) Comment. While it is clear that the GOAJ takes the danger of pandemic influenza appropriately seriously and can apparently detect and manage small numbers of infections among people arriving at major ports of entry, its ability to handle a rapid, aggressive pandemic is less certain. Despite the existence of a National Pandemic Preparedness Plan, the availability of antivirals and sustained assistance from the WHO, Azerbaijan's capabilities are limited by its small supply of test kits and restrictive procurement policies that prevent the Ministry of Health from quickly acquiring them. As a result, the country will be dependent on WHO and international donors if the need becomes acute. Additionally, Baku's preparedness plan and health communications system has never been validated in an exercise scenario, and therefore any shortcomings will be discovered in the context of actual operations. LU