US embassy cable - 05HANOI2597

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 002597 
 
SIPDIS 
 
USAID BANGKOK FOR RDM-A 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR G; CA/OCS/ACS/EAP; EAP/EX; EAP/BCLTV; EAP/EP; INR; 
OES/STC (MGOLDBERG); OES/IHA (DSINGER AND NCOMELLA) 
BANGKOK FOR RMO, CDC, USAID/RDM/A (MFRIEDMAN) 
USDA FOR FAS/PASS TO APHIS 
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE FOR OSD/ISA/AP (LSTERN) 
USAID FOR ANE AND GH (DCAROLL, SCLEMENTS AND PCHAPLIN) 
STATE PASS USTR (ELENA BRYAN) 
STATE ALSO PASS HHS/OGHA (EELVANDER) 
ROME FOR FAO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AMED, AMGT, CASC, EAGR, PINR, SOCI, PGOV, TBIO, VM, AFLU 
SUBJECT: VIETNAM: AVIAN INFLUENZA WEEKLY REPORT FOR OCTOBER 
6, 2005 
 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED 
 
REF: Hanoi 2519 and previous 
 
1. (SBU) Summary.  There have been no new cases of human or 
poultry Avian Influenza (AI) reported since Mission 
Vietnam's last weekly update on September 29.  Delays in 
vaccine and equipment delivery have caused postponement of 
the third round of poultry vaccination.  The Government of 
Vietnam (GVN) will send a delegation to the International 
Partnership on Avian Pandemic Influenza (IPAPI) Senior 
Official Meeting in Washington on October 6 and 7, and has 
approved the First Phase of the Joint UNDP/WHO/FAO Program. 
The GVN has passed copies of a revised version of its 
national preparedness plan to the WHO and FAO.  The WHO 
representative described the new plan as "complete and quite 
excellent."  The Canadian Embassy is organizing a strategic 
planning workshop next week to develop a plan for their AI 
assistance.  The Ambassador will host a Town Hall meeting 
for the Embassy community on October 12, and for the private 
American community shortly thereafter.  Staff of the 
Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City met with members of 
AmCham to discuss AI preparedness planning.  End Summary. 
 
No New Human Cases 
------------------ 
 
2. (U) There have been no new cases of human or poultry AI 
reported since Mission Vietnam's last weekly update on 
September 29. 
 
Poultry Vaccination Program 
--------------------------- 
 
3. (U) The head of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural 
Development's (MARD) Department of Animal Health, Bui Quang 
Anh, acknowledged publicly that delays in vaccine and 
equipment delivery have caused postponement of the third 
round of the poultry vaccination campaign by three weeks. 
Officials hope the vaccination program will resume in early 
October. 
 
4. (SBU) According to reliable international experts, Bac 
Ninh Province, which borders Hanoi, is one of several 
provinces affected by the supply shortage, and has postponed 
vaccination by two weeks.  Local officials there are highly 
supportive of the vaccination campaign, and have allocated 
USD 200,000 from the Provincial Emergency Fund to cover the 
vaccine cost for bigger farms (the Central Government is 
paying for the vaccine for farms with fewer than 2,000 
birds).  However, provincial officials have set compensation 
to vaccine administrators at a significantly lower level 
than that suggested by national guidelines, and are facing 
recruitment problems.  Additional challenges include an 
inadequate number of refrigerated storage facilities at the 
district level. 
 
Other AI Related Issues 
----------------------- 
 
5. (U) The Embassy confirmed that Ambassador Nguyen Tam 
Chien, Vietnam's Ambassador to the United States, and Deputy 
Director General, Department of Animal Health, Ministry of 
Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), Mr. Hoang Van Nam, 
will attend the IPAPI Senior Officials Meeting in Washington 
on October 6 and 7.  The Embassy has been in contact with 
the Embassies of Japan, Singapore, and Australia, which also 
approached the GVN regarding IPAPI. 
 
6. (U) The GVN approved the First Phase of the Joint 
UNDP/WHO/FAO Program.  The project includes USAID funding 
and the Embassy Science Fellow. 
 
7. (U) The GVN has passed copies of a revised version of its 
national preparedness plan to the WHO and FAO.  The WHO 
representative described the new plan as "complete and quite 
excellent."  He predicted that the GVN will share it with 
the donors very soon. 
 
8. (U) The Canadian Embassy and the Canadian International 
Development Agency (CIDA) are organizing a strategic 
planning workshop next week to develop a plan for AI 
assistance to Vietnam through the CIDA funded Canada-Asia 
Regional Emerging Infectious Diseases (CARED) Project.  The 
USD 15 million program focuses on strengthening capacity in 
SE Asia and China.  Participants in the workshop will 
include Ministry of Health and MARD officials and bilateral 
donors. 
 
9. (U) The Embassy's Avian Influenza Working Group (AIWG) 
met on September 29 to review tripwires, preparations for 
shelter in place, the responsibilities to contractors, and 
plans for an evacuation.  The AIWG will draft an AI specific 
drawdown list and expand the warden list.  The MED unit will 
provide training on in-home health care. 
 
10. (U) The Ambassador will chair a Town Hall meeting on AI 
for Embassy staff on October 12.  Another meeting for the 
non-Embassy American community will take place shortly 
thereafter. 
 
11. (U) Consulate General HCMC staff met with members of 
AmCham to discuss AI preparedness planning.  In attendance 
were representatives from AmCham's Board and its 
Agriculture, Tourism, Public Affairs, and HR Committees. 
ConGen medical staff provided an overview of the AI and 
influenza information available on the State, CDC and WHO 
websites.  CONS fielded questions regarding American citizen 
issues.  AmCham gave an overview of planned activities, 
including an AI online resource center. 
 
MARINE