AH1N1 INFLUENZA IN MOLDOVA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 CHISINAU 000865

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SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON EINV PGOV AMED MD
SUBJECT: AH1N1 INFLUENZA IN MOLDOVA

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Sensitive but not classified. Please protect
accordingly.


1. (SBU) Summary: The level of concern about H1N1
influenza is rising in Moldova. Though so far
Moldova has only been hit by two deaths and 113
confirmed cases, new cases are reported daily, (36
on November 6),and both government and population
are starting to feel jittery, particularly as the
situation is much worse in neighboring Ukraine.
The Government of Moldova (GOM) has asked the USG
to provide 50,000 vaccines, and has also appealed
to all embassies for vaccine donations. We are
exploring numerous possibilities for providing
assistance to Moldova. The Minister of Health
held a press conference on November 5 to reassure
the population that Moldova was not experiencing
an epidemic. However, the government has begun
taking measures such as tightening airport
vigilance, and extending the late-autumn school
vacation to keep children home from school. End
Summary.

A (H1N1) IN MOLDOVA
--------------


2. (SBU) Moldova has experienced two deaths
connected to the new type influenza A (H1N1)
virus, on October 23 and November 3. The first
victim fell ill following a return from Poland
while the second victim had recently returned to
Moldova from Moscow. As of November 3, the media
stated that laboratory tests had confirmed 29
cases of pandemic flu in Moldova, while on
November 4 the National Centre of Preventive
Medicine (NCPM) announced that ten more cases of
pandemic flu had been confirmed in the previous 24
hours in Moldova, bringing the total to 39 people
affected by the virus at that point. According to
reports on November 6, Moldova has 113 confirmed
cases.

H1N1 Spreading in the Region
--------------


3. (SBU) The spread of A (H1N1) in Moldova came
against the backdrop of sensationalist news
headlines and growing unease in Moldova over H1N1
and its spread in the region. Romania has
confirmed 555 cases of pandemic flu, while Ukraine
has reported more than 200,000 cases, with 70
deaths. Moldovans have little confidence in the
local, decrepit public health system. The
epidemic in Ukraine spurred a run on some
drugstores in Moldova; during the last few days,
masks and antiviral preparations have disappeared
from many pharmacies. Ukrainians who live near
the border with Moldova have purchased entire
stocks of antiviral preparations and masks in
Otaci and Soroca and other towns near Moldova's
Ukrainian border.

A Request fromQand a Misstep byQthe GOM
--------------


4. (SBU) On November 2, Foreign Minister Leanca
asked the Ambassador if the USG could provide
50,000 doses of vaccine. This was followed by a
written request from the Ministry of Health
requesting vaccines for A (H1N1) flu virus for
immunizing the population in high-risk categories,
including pregnant women, children under two years
old, and patients with chronic maladies. In a
session of Parliament on November 3, Minister of
Health Vladimir Hotineanu called on foreign donors
to provide vaccine and said that the American
Embassy had already responded by promising 50,000
doses of vaccine. (Note: Hotineanu spoke out of
turn, and we have informed the GOM of the
difficulties in and options for obtaining
vaccines, and that while we are actively seeking
sources of help, we can make no specific promises.
End Note.)

Other Sources of Assistance
--------------


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5. (SBU) UNICEF's Chisinau office has told us
that Moldova, along with eight other countries in
the region, is scheduled to receive 400,000 doses
of vaccine from WHO's H1N1 stockpile, a figure
calculated to cover approximately 10 percent of
the population. However, because of Moldova's
Category 2 status, the first tranche of 80,000 (2
percent of the population) is not scheduled to
arrive until December, and the full distribution
is not expected until May 2010. Priority for the
first doses will be given to health care workers.
The GOM has requested 500,000 doses from the WHO.
Buying sufficient vaccines on the open market (at
a cost between USD 2.50 and USD 20 per dose,
depending on concessions and ability to pay) is
out of the question for the financially strapped
government.

GoM Measures and Social Reactions
--------------


6. (SBU) Already in September, the municipal
government in the capital Chisinau began
installation of soap dispensers and hand dryers in
the 144 schools in Chisinau to prevent infection
with the virus. With the recent outbreak on its
borders, the GOM also has begun taking
prophylactic measures. Airport employees who are
in direct contact with passengers have been
ordered to wear gloves and disposable masks. The
government is also attempting to reduce vectors
for the spread of the virus by extending school
holidays, adding ten days (November 9-20) to the
regular late autumn break taking place this week
(November 2-6). The government has recommended
that parents not send their children to
kindergartens. At least one conference Q a
gathering of the Youth Governing Institute in
Moldova, scheduled for November 9 Q has been
postponed for at least two weeks. Moldova State
University has been placed on quarantine; the
rumor among the students is that some professors
are infected.

GoM Actions and Efforts to Reassure Population
-------------- -


7. (SBU) A Republican Extraordinary Anti-Epidemic
Commission has been established, and has prepared
an action plan on measures to prevent, combat and
intervene in cases of pandemic flu. Prime
Minister Filat chaired a meeting of this
commission on November 2, and has asked for a
daily briefing on H1N1. The Commission will meet
again on November 6. The Ministry of Health
convened a meeting of heads of Moldovan public
medical institutions on November 3 to discuss
hospitals' preparations.


8. (SBU) On November 5, the Minister of Health
convened a press conference. Seeking to reassure
the population, he stressed that the situation in
Moldova is much better than in the neighboring
countries and insisted that there is no flu
epidemic in Moldova. He defined an epidemic as
the presence of 750 cases of infection per 100,000
population. The Minister reported that only 65
cases had been confirmed in Moldova at that point.


9. (SBU) Nonetheless, the media report that the
demand for anti-flu drugs and masks has risen
significantly over the past week. Many drugstores
have used up all their stocks. Minister of
Health Hotineanu acknowledged that there was a
shortage of anti-flu drugs and masks.

Comment
--------------


10. (SBU) While the level of infection in Moldova
is still comparatively low, the level of concern
here is rising rapidly. The good news is that the
government is mobilizing and attempting efforts to
address preventing the spread of the virus.
However, we have not seen any educational efforts
noting the low lethality rate of H1N1 compared to
normal seasonal influenza or encouraging measures

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such as washing hands. In the interests of
prevention and support for the new government, we
will continue our efforts to assist the GOM.

CHAUDHRY