Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09RIYADH929
2009-07-15 16:08:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Riyadh
Cable title:
SAUDI MINISTER OF HEALTH ON H1N1, OTHER HEALTH
how-toVZCZCXRO8145 PP RUEHDE RUEHDH RUEHDIR DE RUEHRH #0929/01 1961608 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 151608Z JUL 09 FM AMEMBASSY RIYADH TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1199 INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHDC PRIORITY RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RIYADH 000929
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP (HARRIS)
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/12/2010
TAGS: ECON PGOV PREL TBIO KFLU CASC ASEC BEXP SA
SUBJECT: SAUDI MINISTER OF HEALTH ON H1N1, OTHER HEALTH
PRIORITIES, MANPOWER NEEDS
REF: RIYADH 901
Classified By: CDA Ambassador Richard Erdman for reasons
1.4 (b) and (d).
SUMMARY
--------
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RIYADH 000929
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP (HARRIS)
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/12/2010
TAGS: ECON PGOV PREL TBIO KFLU CASC ASEC BEXP SA
SUBJECT: SAUDI MINISTER OF HEALTH ON H1N1, OTHER HEALTH
PRIORITIES, MANPOWER NEEDS
REF: RIYADH 901
Classified By: CDA Ambassador Richard Erdman for reasons
1.4 (b) and (d).
SUMMARY
--------------
1. (SBU) Saudi Minister of Health Abdullah Rabeeah briefed
Charge July 8 on his Ministry's priorities, including
preparations for the upcoming Hajj pilgrimage season.
Rabeeah requested Embassy assistance delivering a letter to
the Centers for Disease Control regarding the distribution of
H1N1 testing agents, having had a recent request by the
Deputy Health Minister turned down. Rabeeah outlined the
Ministry's public health priorities and the Saudi
government's vision for health care reform. He requested
U.S. assistance to address the need for more and
better-trained Saudi health professionals, as well as help to
attract U.S. investment in the Kingdom's health sector.
Embassy strongly supports the Health Minister's request for
additional "H1N1 testing agent" in view of his Ministry's
responsibility to limit the health impact of the Hajj, which
will bring up to two million foreign pilgrims to the Kingdom
this year. End summary.
LETTER REGARDING H1N1 DIAGNOSTIC AGENT
--------------
2. (C) Health Minister Abdullah Rabeeah asked Charge for
Embassy assistance delivering a letter to appropriate
counterparts in the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to
ensure the most effective distribution of an H1N1 final
diagnostic agent (used to test for the virus) in the Kingdom
to maximize public health benefits. The new Deputy Minister
for Preventive Medicine, who according to the Minister is the
only Saudi official authorized to request this agent from the
CDC, asked for additional supplies of the diagnostic agent,
only to be informed by CDC that the Kingdom's full allotment
already had been distributed to several Saudi universities.
The Minister emphasized that the CDC should honor only
requests that come from the Deputy Minister, especially since
the Saudi government desperately will need the materials for
diagnostic purposes during the upcoming Hajj when millions of
pilgrims arrive in the Kingdom in late November from all over
the world.
INFECTIOUS DISEASE PRIORITIES
--------------
3. (SBU) Regarding President Obama's polio initiative with
the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC),Rabeeah
said the OIC's successful track record with polio eradication
would make it a good partner in joint efforts to eradicate
the disease. Rabeeah said his ministry is focused on border
programs to help prevent the spread of dengue fever, H1N1,
and malaria. Saudi Arabia's program with Yemen, he said,
which provides treatment for infectious diseases 15 to 20
kilometers inside the border, has been hailed by the World
Health Organization as a model. On dengue fever during the
Hajj, Rabeeah said the Kingdom was planning to replicate in
Jeddah the successful prevention program implemented in
Mecca, which had reduced new cases from 180 to less than 15
cases per week. He said the Saudi government has committed
SR100 million to reduce the estimated 1,500 cases of dengue
fever in the Kingdom by ten percent.
HEALTH SYSTEM REFORM
--------------
4. (SBU) Rabeeah said the Kingdom is working towards a fully
integrated health system focused on primary health care,
hospital-based care, and automated "E-health" systems. He
lauded the role the CDC and Harvard had played in designing
the Kingdom's health care model. One lesson was clear, he
said, "Privatization of the health care system is not a good
option."
REQUEST FOR U.S. ASSISTANCE ON MANPOWER AND INVESTMENT
-------------- --------------
5. (SBU) Rabeeah requested U.S. assistance training medical
professionals, noting in particular the Kingdom's shortage of
trained nurses. The Charge said the Embassy would work with
the Ministry and its U.S. counterparts to facilitate
cooperative exchanges. The Ministry is opening a new office
of Health Investment and Industry, he said, and would like to
attract U.S. investment in the Kingdom's health sector.
RIYADH 00000929 002 OF 002
COMMENT
--------------
6. (C) Rabeeah is under pressure to keep H1N1 from disrupting
the Hajj, and we share this goal, which would limit the
spread of the virus as potentially infected pilgrims return
home to countries all over the world. Health is a major area
of potential bilateral cooperation, and we should respond to
the Minister's apparent keen interest in working with U.S.
institutions in the private and public sectors to the maximum
extent possible. End Comment.
ERDMAN
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP (HARRIS)
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/12/2010
TAGS: ECON PGOV PREL TBIO KFLU CASC ASEC BEXP SA
SUBJECT: SAUDI MINISTER OF HEALTH ON H1N1, OTHER HEALTH
PRIORITIES, MANPOWER NEEDS
REF: RIYADH 901
Classified By: CDA Ambassador Richard Erdman for reasons
1.4 (b) and (d).
SUMMARY
--------------
1. (SBU) Saudi Minister of Health Abdullah Rabeeah briefed
Charge July 8 on his Ministry's priorities, including
preparations for the upcoming Hajj pilgrimage season.
Rabeeah requested Embassy assistance delivering a letter to
the Centers for Disease Control regarding the distribution of
H1N1 testing agents, having had a recent request by the
Deputy Health Minister turned down. Rabeeah outlined the
Ministry's public health priorities and the Saudi
government's vision for health care reform. He requested
U.S. assistance to address the need for more and
better-trained Saudi health professionals, as well as help to
attract U.S. investment in the Kingdom's health sector.
Embassy strongly supports the Health Minister's request for
additional "H1N1 testing agent" in view of his Ministry's
responsibility to limit the health impact of the Hajj, which
will bring up to two million foreign pilgrims to the Kingdom
this year. End summary.
LETTER REGARDING H1N1 DIAGNOSTIC AGENT
--------------
2. (C) Health Minister Abdullah Rabeeah asked Charge for
Embassy assistance delivering a letter to appropriate
counterparts in the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to
ensure the most effective distribution of an H1N1 final
diagnostic agent (used to test for the virus) in the Kingdom
to maximize public health benefits. The new Deputy Minister
for Preventive Medicine, who according to the Minister is the
only Saudi official authorized to request this agent from the
CDC, asked for additional supplies of the diagnostic agent,
only to be informed by CDC that the Kingdom's full allotment
already had been distributed to several Saudi universities.
The Minister emphasized that the CDC should honor only
requests that come from the Deputy Minister, especially since
the Saudi government desperately will need the materials for
diagnostic purposes during the upcoming Hajj when millions of
pilgrims arrive in the Kingdom in late November from all over
the world.
INFECTIOUS DISEASE PRIORITIES
--------------
3. (SBU) Regarding President Obama's polio initiative with
the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC),Rabeeah
said the OIC's successful track record with polio eradication
would make it a good partner in joint efforts to eradicate
the disease. Rabeeah said his ministry is focused on border
programs to help prevent the spread of dengue fever, H1N1,
and malaria. Saudi Arabia's program with Yemen, he said,
which provides treatment for infectious diseases 15 to 20
kilometers inside the border, has been hailed by the World
Health Organization as a model. On dengue fever during the
Hajj, Rabeeah said the Kingdom was planning to replicate in
Jeddah the successful prevention program implemented in
Mecca, which had reduced new cases from 180 to less than 15
cases per week. He said the Saudi government has committed
SR100 million to reduce the estimated 1,500 cases of dengue
fever in the Kingdom by ten percent.
HEALTH SYSTEM REFORM
--------------
4. (SBU) Rabeeah said the Kingdom is working towards a fully
integrated health system focused on primary health care,
hospital-based care, and automated "E-health" systems. He
lauded the role the CDC and Harvard had played in designing
the Kingdom's health care model. One lesson was clear, he
said, "Privatization of the health care system is not a good
option."
REQUEST FOR U.S. ASSISTANCE ON MANPOWER AND INVESTMENT
-------------- --------------
5. (SBU) Rabeeah requested U.S. assistance training medical
professionals, noting in particular the Kingdom's shortage of
trained nurses. The Charge said the Embassy would work with
the Ministry and its U.S. counterparts to facilitate
cooperative exchanges. The Ministry is opening a new office
of Health Investment and Industry, he said, and would like to
attract U.S. investment in the Kingdom's health sector.
RIYADH 00000929 002 OF 002
COMMENT
--------------
6. (C) Rabeeah is under pressure to keep H1N1 from disrupting
the Hajj, and we share this goal, which would limit the
spread of the virus as potentially infected pilgrims return
home to countries all over the world. Health is a major area
of potential bilateral cooperation, and we should respond to
the Minister's apparent keen interest in working with U.S.
institutions in the private and public sectors to the maximum
extent possible. End Comment.
ERDMAN