US embassy cable - 05SANAA1304

UNCLAS SANAA 001304 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AMMAN - PLEASE PASS TO JOCK WHITTLESLEY. 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TBIO, AMED, YM 
SUBJECT: YEMEN POLIO UPDATE: 60 CASES AND GROWING 
 
REF: SANAA 1032 
 
1. (SBU) On May 11, Yemen's poliomyelitis outbreak reached 
more than 60 cases according to official statements, making 
one of the largest outbreaks in non-polio endemic country in 
recent years.  UN Health officials publicly estimated that 
polio infections in Yemen will exceed the 100 mark, as more 
suspected cases are examined in the laboratory.  Current 
reported cases, with pending laboratory results, far exceed 
the UN estimate.  USAID Senior Health Advisor Dr. Ahmed 
Attieg reported 313 polio cases with the complication of 
paralysis, known as Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP).  A 
majority of the reported AFP cases are concentrated in the 
Hodeidah governorate -- a reported 209 AFP cases.  To date, 
the laboratory completed testing 66 of these reported AFP 
patients; 44 cases tested negative for AFP and 22 cases 
produced positive results.  A majority of the positive AFP 
cases were located in the Hodeidah governorate with the rest 
in the major cities of Sanaa, Sayun, Hajja, and Taiz. 
 
2. (SBU) An initial round of vaccinations were executed in 
mid-April.  At present, WHO experts are working with the 
Ministry of Health to finalize campaign plans and to train 
vaccinators and supervisors for the next round of the 
vaccination campaign scheduled to start May 30.  On May 12, 
UNICEF confirmed that six million doses of monovalent oral 
polio vaccine type 1 (mOPV1) have been shipped to Yemen and 
are due to arrive this week, as part of emergency measures to 
stop the ongoing polio outbreak in the country.  Also the US 
Naval Medical Research Unit Three (NAMRU-3) and US Centers 
for Disease Control (CDC) infectious disease teams are 
scheduled to participate in epidemiological investigations 
and lend technical support to the Ministry of Health. 
 
3. (SBU) Some extremist imams are reportedly taking advantage 
of this outbreak to claim that the United States is waging a 
campaign to intentionally infect Yemenis with polio or to 
cause infertility to Muslims. 
 
4. (SBU) Although aware of serious mismanagement and 
corruption allegations against the Ministry of Health, 
international donors are responding to the current crisis 
despite the Ministry's poor record of handling vaccination 
campaigns.  Allegations of vaccine cold storage mismanagement 
and local officials pocketing program implementation funds 
without administering the vaccines abound in the 
international donor community. 
Krajeski