SAUDI DEPUTY HEALTH MINISTER CALLS FOR

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 RIYADH 000104

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARP, OES, AND OSTP
DEPT PASS TO CDC FOR STEPHEN BLOUNT AND SCOTT MCNABB
DEPT PASS TO NIH FOR JUDY LEVIN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON TBIO SENV PREL SA
SUBJECT: SAUDI DEPUTY HEALTH MINISTER CALLS FOR
SCHOLARSHIPS, JOINT RESEARCH, AND TRAINING

REF: A. RIYADH 1045

B. RIYADH 1417


1. (SBU) This is an action request. See paragraphs three and
six.

Summary
--------------


2. (SBU) Deputy Minister of Health Ziad Memish told Econoffs
that the Ministry's top two health cooperation priorities
with the U.S. are to finalize an MOU with HHS and to increase
significantly the number of scholarships with U.S.
universities. Minister of Health Al-Rabeeah is planning to
visit Washington May 26 and would like to sign the HHS MOU at
that time. Memish outlined specific areas for collaboration
under an MOU and said the MOH is very interested in
cooperation with the NIH on child and maternal health. He
also elaborated on the Ministry's health sector reform plans,
to include a significant modernization and expansion of
facilities.

Specific areas of cooperation for HHS MOU
--------------


3. (SBU) Memish told Econoffs December 19 that Minister of
Health Al-Rabeeah is planning a visit to Washington May 26
and has asked to hold a formal signing ceremony with HHS
Secretary Kathleen Sebelius during his visit. Post requests
NEA's assistance reaching out to HHS regarding the dates of
the proposed signing and Ministerial visit.


4. (SBU) Asked about specific areas of collaboration for an
MOU with HHS, Memish said his Ministry was interested in
continued exchanges of health experts and consultants,
building on existing exchanges with CDC and NIH. He also
said his Ministry needs training assistance in the areas of
malaria, TB, HIV, and sexually transmitted disease
prevention. Memish said the MOH would like the MOU to
facilitate joint research in preventive medicine,
specifically with NIH. The Gulf Cooperation Council Health
Ministers recently mandated its member countries to set up an
occupational safety and health departments, and Saudi Arabia
would like U.S. OSHA experts to advise them as they build the
department "from scratch," he said. The MOH is developing a
scientific journal with Elsevier Publishing and will be
reaching out to U.S. health experts and officials to sit on
the advisory panel. Memish noted the MOH has enough funding
for projects and is only looking for U.S. expertise and
guidance. Memish was also interested in discussing
possibilities of collaboration on research grants.

Cooperation on child and maternal health
--------------


5. (SBU) Asked about collaboration on maternal health and
specifically newborn screening, Memish said the MOH was very
interested in cooperation with the U.S. on child and maternal
health. He noted that the MOH had recently signed a contract
for a 30 million SAR (8 million USD) per year program for
newborn screening. The program will collect samples from 140
clinics in the Kingdom for analysis at King Faisal Specialist
Hospital in Riyadh. Asked about the 2011 MENA regional
Newborn Screening Conference, Memish said Saudi Arabia would
"be happy to host" the meeting. Memish elaborated on the
Kingdom's child and maternal initiatives, including a Royal
Decree which mandates all engaged couples be tested for
sickle cell anemia, thalassemia, HIV, Hepatitis B, and
Hepatitis C before marriage. The Kingdom has tested 750,000
people to date, at an average of 250,000 people per year.
This information is forwarded to the Ministry of Justice.

Scholarship programs
--------------


6. (SBU) As Ambassador Smith discussed with Minister Rabeeah
in October (ref B),the Saudis are very interested in
increasing the number of Saudi students at U.S. institutions
at all levels of healthcare. Econcouns asked Memish to
provide a list of the Ministry's top five priority training
areas. Post will circulate the list once received and
requests HHS assistance in identifying universities and
programs to address Saudi health priorities.

Saudi health sector reform

RIYADH 00000104 002 OF 002


--------------


7. (SBU) Asked about Saudi Arabia's health sector reform,
Memish said Minister Rabeeah submitted a health reform
proposal to King Abdullah for consideration during Ramadan
(September). The reform plan proposes restructuring the MOH
organization chart to include two vice ministers and four
deputy ministers. The MOH will also close small hospitals
with less than 100 beds and open specialist centers in each
region which will be connected to larger, 200 plus bed
facilities and small primary care centers. The restructuring
will require a "tremendous" budget expansion, but the
Minister has received verbal approval from King Abdullah and
is confident their proposal will be supported, Memish said.
The Ministry is in the processing of moving into brand new
office space, which Econoffs noted was a significant
improvement over the old Ministry buildings. Memish noted
partnerships with Harvard and Johns Hopkins Universities are
intended to support the "big leap" the Saudis are taking to
rapidly modernize their healthcare system. The Minister is
working to open a "mass gathering research center" (likely to
focus on Hajj-related health issues) in Jeddah at King
Abdullah Medical City by August 2010, before the 2010 Hajj.

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


8. (SBU) The MOH's proposals for health cooperation under an
HHS MOU dovetail with President Obama's call for increased
science, technology, and health cooperation, and would
benefit greatly from the support of the region's new science
envoy, Dr. Elias Zerhouni. The USG should capitalize on this
opportunity and expand cooperation in the areas Memish
outlined. Post recommends Envoy Zerhouni's visit to Saudi
Arabia in February include a health component.
SMITH