US embassy cable - 05NDJAMENA1561

UNCLAS NDJAMENA 001561 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
PARIS AND LONDON FOR AFRICA WATCHERS, ROME FOR FODAG. ACCRA 
FOR WARP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV, CD, Environment 
SUBJECT: CHAD: PREPAREDNESS FOR AVIAN INFLUENZA 
 
REF: TAMLYN-COONEY E-MAIL 10/20/05 
 
1. Summary:  Chad does not have an effective animal health 
surveillance system and will be relying on donor support and 
international organizations to identify and respond to any 
potential outbreak of avian influenza.  Lake Chad and its 
tributaries attract large numbers of migrating birds (in 
particular, wild ducks and storks) October through December. 
Chad does not have a large domestic poultry sector.  End 
Summary. 
 
2. DCM met with Dr. Yao Kassankogo, Representative of the 
World Health Organization (WHO) and Dr. Mamadou Diallo, 
Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) 
10/19 to discuss Chad's preparedness for a possible spread of 
avian influenza. Both WHO and FAO have well-developed 
relationships with counterparts in the Government of Chad 
(GOC) as a result of administering UN programs in Chad. 
 
3.  The Government of Chad has not officially recognized the 
implications of avian influenza, but reportedly some 
individual members of the relevant ministries understand the 
seriousness of the issue.  FAO has sent out to the donor 
community two tranches of information in the last month on 
the situation world-wide, but there has been no media 
coverage and public awareness is low to non-existent. 
 
4.  Both WHO and FAO reps have been in touch with their 
counterparts over the last week to discuss the need to 
establish national mechanisms.  The GOC does not at this time 
have either a national preparedness plan or a national task 
force.  FAO is proposing creation of a multi-sectoral task 
force (to include animal and human health) headed by the 
Ministry of Animal Production (french: "elevage.")  The FAO 
is also working with the GOC to get out a request for 
technical assistance in order to develop a national plan. 
Dr. Diallo hoped that this request would be ready by October 
24.   FAO will share the GOC request with the Embassy.  The 
GOC request should contain additional information on the 
local avian situation (wild and domesticated), including on 
species expected to migrate through Lake Chad. 
 
5.  The GOC is not well-equipped for surveillance.  Borders 
are not well policed.  Slaughterhouses in the two main cities 
(N'Djamena and Abeche) are essentially the only points of 
animal health control.  Poultry is not raised on an 
industrial scale and is privately slaughtered. The GOC has 
very little capacity to rapidly collect, store and transport 
human or animal specimens for testing.  Samples would need to 
go to Bangui (the Pasteur Institute) or to Paris or London. 
 
6.  The GOC does not have adequate capacity to quickly 
mobilize effective containment measures in response to 
outbreaks of animal disease.  Asked to comment on areas of 
greatest need, FAO and WHO reps responded informally that 
assistance was need with surveillance and (if necessary) 
containment.  Items suggested included: 
 
-- vehicles, fuel, assistance with samples and testing; 
-- assistance with providing public information on safe 
handling of infected animals; 
-- material and financial support in the event that large 
culls are needed. 
 
7.  Martin Wiese, a German geographer currently working as 
the Assistant Director at the Veterinary Laboratory in 
N'Djamena reported that the Lake Chad region and its 
tributaries are host to large numbers of southward-bound 
migrating birds, particularly wild ducks and storks.  While 
poultry production is not widespread in Chad, much of it is 
concentrated near the Lake Chad tributaries.  The next large 
migration is expected in November. 
WALL 
 
 
NNNN