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Viewing cable 05SANAA3167, YEMEN AND AVIAN FLU - LONG ON STRATEGY - SHORT ON

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
05SANAA3167 2005-10-30 14:16 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED Embassy Sanaa
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SANAA 003167 
 
SIPDIS 
 
PASS TO USAID EGAT GLOBAL HEALTH 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TBIO KSCA KPAO EAGR ECON PREL SOCI YM WHO AID ECON COM ENVIRONMENT
SUBJECT:   YEMEN AND AVIAN FLU - LONG ON STRATEGY - SHORT ON 
FUNDING 
 
Ref:  (a) State 191653 (b) State 182324 (c) State 180478  (d) 
State 175585 (e) State 164134 
 
1.  SUMMARY:  A/DCM Tom Burke, accompanied by USAID's Senior 
Health Advisor in Yemen, Dr. Ahmed Attieg, met with Yemeni Public 
Health Deputy Minister, Dr. Majid al-Gunaid at his request on 
10/17/2005, at which he discussed Yemen state of preparations to 
respond to the Avian Flu Influenza.  Deputy Minister al-Gunaid 
also requested USG financial assistance to bolster Yemen's 
preparations to the virus should an outbreak occur and indicated a 
willingness to consider Yemen in joining the International 
Partnership on Avian and Pandemic Influenza (IPAPI). 
 
------------------ 
Yemen's Strategy 
------------------ 
 
  2.   Dr. al-Gunaid explained that the Ministry of Public Health's 
     strategy to prepare for and respond should an incident of Avian 
     Influenza occur was to be presented to Parliament on October 18. 
     As of this cable, Parliament had not yet approved the plan for 
     which the Deputy Minister was seeking unspecified USG financial 
     assistance, while also indicating that Yemen would consider 
     joining IPAPI. 
 
  3.   Yemen's Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation (MAI) and the 
     Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) are both responsible for 
     responding to any incident that might indicate an incidence of 
     Avian Influenza.  The country's first line of defense, Dr. al- 
     Gunaid explained, was aimed at migratory birds and live poultry 
     with MAI taking the lead through its surveillance systems.  He 
     mentioned that "some poultry has died recently from some kind of 
     disease, where influenza was suspected, though later proven not 
     be the case."  The MAI does not have test kits for diagnosing th 
     disease in animals, but they were expected to arrive the followi 
     week.  He did not mention if anyone is trained in using the test 
     kits.  The Ministry of Public Health and Ministry of Agriculture 
     are concerned about the possibility of transmission from human-t 
     human and the potentially disastrous effect on the Yemeni and 
     global economy. 
 
  4.   Yemen's second line of defense is aimed at humans, with the 
     Ministry of Health taking the lead in this area.  The Deputy 
     Minister indicated that the country was "strengthening" its 
     surveillance system in this regard.  He also advised that there 
     a need for more diagnostic equipment that is more sensitive than 
     the system currently available in the country, as it is a passiv 
     system (described as a "wait-and-report" model) where they wait 
     for confirmed cases to be sent back to the capitol (Sanaa).  Ove 
     430 stationary sites throughout Yemen are part of this 
     surveillance network.  The Ministry of Health now desires an 
     active surveillance system using mobile teams to go out in to th 
     field and search for suspected infections, and is negotiating wi 
     the Ministry of Finance to fund it assuming the overall strategy 
     is approved by Parliament. 
 
  5.   The Government of Yemen has been in contact with GCC and 
     other neighboring countries to sign a joint statement on Avian 
     Flu, but post has no knowledge of any such statement being 
     initiated or signed by Yemen. 
 
  6.   The A/DCM pointed out that the Embassy had sent a demarche to 
     the MFA with a copy to the Ministry of Health discussing the USG 
     IPAPI initiative, and that the Ministry had not responded.   Dr. 
     al-Gunaid indicated he had not seen the demarche but indicated 
     Yemen would be interested in joining IPAPI, and was seeking USG 
     funding to support their strategy.  He also indicated that his 
     office had contacted representatives from the WHO, but no other 
     NGOs' at the time of the meeting.  After the short exchange the 
     meeting was concluded with an indication that the Ministry of 
     Health would provide the embassy with a copy of their strategy 
     when it was approved, following which representatives would meet 
     again. 
 
--------------- 
USAID Actions 
---------------- 
 
  7.   USAID's Administrator has tasked USAID Mission Directors with 
     providing their regional bureau with a rapid assessment survey 
     outlining the host country's preparedness to respond to Avian an 
     Pandemic Influenza and a principal point of contact.  In USAID 
     Yemen, Dr. Ahmed Attieg, Senior Health Advisor has been designat 
     as the POC and responsible for responding the survey requirement 
     who will remain in close contact with the Ministries of Health a 
     Agriculture as well as the Disease Surveillance Unit. 
 
  8.   A meeting with all donors has been requested by the Ministry 
     of Planning and International Cooperation (MOPIC) for October 26 
     2005 to discuss the emergency action plan for Avian Flu and to 
     seek USD $2.6 million to fund it. 
 
  9.   On October 23, 2005, Post USAID Agriculture office received 
     an official letter of request for assistance.  This request did 
     not specify an amount of funding required but areas of need. 
     Clarification of the need and specific actions has been requeste 
     by USAID from MAI. 
 
  10.  COMMENT:  Until Post receives Parliament's approved plan to 
     respond to the Avian Flu influenza as well as a clarification of 
     Yemen's needs by MOI, we are unable to assess what Yemen's 
     requirements are or how best to work with them in developing the 
     overall strategy and response should an incident occur.  As to t 
     Deputy Minister's stated willingness for Yemen to join IPAPI, it 
     is doubtful that he has the authority to express the ROYG's 
     intent, in this regard. 
 
 
KRAJESKI