Russian Deputy Health Minister Wants Expanded Health

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 MOSCOW 000189 SENSITIVE SIPDIS AIDAC DEPT FOR EUR/RUS, EUR/PGI, OES/PCI, OES/IHB OES/FO FOR CARTER-FOSTER STATE PLEASE PASS TO NAS, NSF, AND USAID USAID FOR GH, E&E HHS FOR OGHA HHS PLEASE PASS TO NIH AND FDA USDA FOR FAS/OSTA FOR MACKE DOL FOR ILAB E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: TBIO PREL EAID SOCI KHIV TSPL ETRD ELAB EAGR KIPR RS SUBJECT: Russian Deputy Health Minister Wants Expanded Health Cooperation REF: 09 MOSCOW 2978 MOSCOW 00000189 001.2 OF 004 SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED -- PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY. ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: In their upbeat December 14 meeting, Russian Deputy Health Minister Veronika Skvortsova and Ambassador Beyrle agreed that the Bilateral Presidential Commission's Working Group on Health should promote a substantial expansion of cooperation on health and medical sciences. They concurred that it would be effective to create sub-groups to work on a few high-priority areas including cardiovascular diseases, healthy lifestyles, preventive medicine, road safety, and information technology applications. Skvortsova asked for detailed information on current National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants to Russian partners so that she could seek comparable Russian co-funding. Ambassador Beyrle noted and Skvortsova acknowledged that USAID and MOHSD are preparing a new cooperation document which would expand the existing partnership in several areas. After the Ambassador raised serious U.S. concerns regarding pending Russian regulations on pork and poultry processing, Skvortsova said that she is interested in studying the available research demonstrating the safety of chlorine in poultry processing. She indicated that her ministry would participate in the Agriculture Working Group of the Bilateral Commission if invited, so that U.S. and Russian scientists could cooperate on food safety issues. When the Ambassador raised concern over rumors that a revision of the pharmaceuticals law by the Ministry of Health and Social Development (MOHSD) does not include intellectual property rights provisions required for WTO accession, Skvortsova only acknowledged that there are different versions being drafted by both her Ministry and the Ministry of Economic Development. END SUMMARY. LAUNCHING THE HEALTH WORKING GROUP -------------- ¶2. (U) On December 14, Ambassador Beyrle met with Deputy Minister of Health and Social Development Veronika Skvortsova and an interagency gathering of Russian health officials to agree on an agenda for cooperation under the Health Working Group of the U.S.-Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission. The discussion built upon two earlier meetings in late November and early December in which Skvortsova and officials of NIH and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had defined areas of mutual interest for joint work (reftel) and continued dialogue with USAID and its implementing partners. In response to a proposal on areas of collaboration that MOHSD gave to the Embassy at the end of September, the Ambassador presented both a U.S.-drafted expanded table of proposed areas of cooperation and a concrete list of U.S. proposals for cooperation activities for the immediate future. He also handed Skvortsova a letter from Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Howard Koh, inviting her to visit HHS during a planned trip to the United States in late February. (N???: Skvortsova, a specialist in stroke research, plans to attend an international stroke conference in San Antonio, Texas, on February 23. Post's health working group will follow up directly with MOHSD's International Department and HHS to arrange this and other meetings as appropriate. END NOTE.) The Ambassador explained that Dr. Koh hoped to visit Moscow March 10-11 to lead the U.S. side for the first meeting of the Health Working Group. ¶3. (SBU) To help activate cooperation, the Ambassador suggested forming expert sub-groups on cardiovascular diseases and healthy lifestyles, which are high priorities for both countries. Skvortsova endorsed the suggestion and countered with a proposal to establish additional sub-groups on preventive medicine, information technology and telemedicine, and road safety. She also expressed MOSCOW 00000189 002.2 OF 004 interest in continuing the existing U.S.-Russia collaboration in developing countries under the Bratislava Initiative, which USAID has been facilitating. She informed the Ambassador that MOHSD, in partnership with USAID and host government counterparts in third countries, had selected nine experts to take part in joint field work on HIV, tuberculosis, and other diseases of global importance in the past year, and agreed that this work could be extended. The Ambassador noted preparations for a new cooperation document between USAID and MOHSD, planned for 2010, which will build upon and expand joint activities. AN EMPHATIC "YES" TO COOPERATION ON LABOR ISSUES -------------- --- ¶4. (SBU) The Ambassador informed Skvortsova that the U.S. Department of Labor is interested in possible cooperation with MOHSD on workplace health and safety, mine safety, and employment for the disabled. Skvortsova responded emphatically that the Ministry is interested in cooperating on these issues. She said that Natalya Zharova, head of the Ministry's Department of Wages, Occupational Safety, and Social Partnerships, would be responsible for this cooperation. (NOTE: We conveyed Skvortsova's interest to Department of Labor officials in December and will follow up with them to discuss next steps for cooperation on these issues. END NOTE.) RUSSIA READY TO CO-FUND MEDICAL RESEARCH -------------- ¶5. (SBU) The Ambassador called Russia's taxation of research grants an obstacle to expanding cooperation. Skvortsova said that she is pleased that U.S.-Russian scientific interaction is growing and said that Russia is interested in co-funding research projects on an equal basis. This would obviate the need to obtain tax exemption for grants by having Russian partners funded from Russian sources. She cited the model of Russia-EU cooperation on biomedical research, which is implemented jointly with the Ministry of Education and Science (MES). She noted that she had already discussed the idea with MES Minister Andrey Fursenko, whose agency is responsible for approving research grants, including in biomedical sciences. ¶6. (SBU) Skvortsova recommended that joint research projects link institutions, rather than individual scientists. She asked that the Embassy provide detailed information about current NIH grants to Russian scientists so that her Ministry may determine the most promising areas for joint research in time to amend the 2010 federal budget. The Ambassador agreed to provide more information, but he urged that the working groups should expand joint work into new areas and new activities, not replace or obstruct existing partnerships. Skvortsova agreed with that approach, saying that the working group "should not change relations between scientists and specialists," that it should "expand and deepen interaction" and "add a new quality to the work." She clarified that she would need to ask Minister Fursenko about funding. ¶7. (SBU) NOTE: Following on Skvortsova's December 1 meeting with NIH representatives, the Embassy had already forwarded general information on the overall volume of NIH grants to Russian partners and the subjects of the research, but without naming specific grantees. We continue to follow up with NIH to provide additional information as appropriate. Some potential U.S. partners have voiced concern that interagency rivalries on the Russian side might cause disruption of ongoing programs if the programs are brought to the Ministry's attention in this way. In an example of such a rivalry, the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, which is primarily responsible for international cooperation on biomedical sciences, submitted proposals for bilateral science cooperation to MOHSD, MOSCOW 00000189 003.2 OF 004 according to our contacts at the Academy, but the Ministry did not include them in its list of proposed activities. END NOTE. ADDRESSING CONCERNS ON POULTRY PROCESSING -------------- ¶8. (SBU) The Ambassador expressed serious concern that proposed Russian restrictions on chlorine use and antibiotics, together with zero tolerances for naturally occurring bacteria, which were set to go into effect on December 15, would effectively shut down $400 million in annual U.S. pork trade and threatened to close down an additional $700 million in poultry trade as of January 1, 2010. The Ambassador passed Skvortsova a packet of scientific reports demonstrating the safety of chlorine use. ¶9. (SBU) Skvortsova reminded the Ambassador that food safety is regulated by the Ministry's Department of Health Protection and Epidemiological Well-Being, as well as by the Federal Service for Surveillance for Consumer Rights Protection and Human Well-Being (Rospotrebnadzor). Representatives of both agencies were present at the meeting. Skvortsova said that Russia had carried out its own studies in this area and remained concerned about the toxicity of chlorine and its potential to cause cancer. Also, she said, Russia had found a possible link between residual antibiotics on food products and drug resistance in humans, and the government is responsible for protecting the public against such effects. She noted that harmless chemical treatment methods are available for poultry and meat processing, but that it would also be useful to study available data on the effects of chlorine and antibiotics and cooperate on further research. She said she would discuss the issue with the MOHSD departments concerned, as well as with Rospotrebnadzor and the Ministry of Agriculture. A USDA-USTR delegation visited Russia January 18-21 to discuss the issue directly with Rospotrebnadzor (septel). ¶10. (SBU) The Ambassador asked Dr. Skvortsova whether an MOHSD representative could participate in the Working Group on Agriculture under the Bilateral Presidential Commission, so that U.S. and Russian scientists might cooperate more closely on food safety concerns. Skvortsova responded that MOHSD would participate if invited to do so. DATA EXCLUSIVITY IN PHARMACEUTICAL LAW -------------- ¶11. (SBU) The Ambassador raised U.S. concerns regarding intellectual property rights (IPR) protection in the current draft of a new "Law on the Circulation of Medicines." The current draft does not include a provision for six years of data exclusivity, to which Russia committed in the November 2006 Bilateral Agreement ("side letter") on IPR as a condition for its accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO). Skvortsova stated that there are in fact two draft laws in question: an amendment to the Law on Medicines developed by the Ministry of Economic Development (MED) and submitted to the government in 2008, and new draft legislation developed by MOHSD in 2009 that would replace Russia's existing Law on Medicines to regulate all stages of the drug industry in Russia. When the Ambassador pointed out that MOHSD's draft Law on Circulation of Medicines does not include the data exclusivity provisions, Skvortsova responded: "Both versions will go to the Duma, and we shall see what results." (NOTE: MOHSD's draft took precedent and went to the Duma on December 26. The MED data exclusivity amendments have not yet been presented. The Duma's Health Committee is taking industry comments until January 25. Industry is working to submit comments to the committee on time. End Note). MOSCOW 00000189 004.2 OF 004 POLICY EXCHANGE ON HEALTHCARE REFORM -------------- ¶12. (SBU) At the conclusion of the meeting, at Skvortsova's request, the Ambassador gave a summary of the latest developments in U.S. healthcare reform. Skvortsova listened intently and asked the Ambassador why the proposed reforms are so controversial. She acknowledged the extreme complexity of the issues in play and said that she would be interested in further discussions of the reform process as it continues. ¶13. (SBU) COMMENT: This third meeting between Dr. Skvortsova and U.S. officials in less than a month further demonstrated the Health Ministry's strong interest in revitalizing cooperation with the United States, as well as the close alignment of our interests in this area. Although we have not yet met with Minister of Health and Social Development Tatyana Golikova herself, the meetings with Skvortsova have nonetheless been highly productive, as Skvortsova is a career health professional with a strong personal interest in advancing these issues. BEYRLE