US embassy cable - 05DUSHANBE1779

UNCLAS DUSHANBE 001779 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
STATE PLEASE PASS TO EUR/CACEN, SA, USAID FOR DENNIS CARROLL, NATHAN BLAUCKET 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, EAGR, ECON, EAID, TBIO, KSCA, SOCI, TI, KSTH, WHO 
SUBJECT: TAJIKISTAN:  STOPPING AVIAN FLU AT ITS BORDERS WITH NO 
MONEY 
 
1.  To date, Tajikistan has no reported cases of Avian Flu. The 
Ministries of Health and Agriculture as well as the country's 
Veterinary Services have taken stringent measures to stop Avian 
Flu from entering Tajikistan's borders. 
 
2.  The Veterinary Service has begun to capture and examine wild 
birds along the country's borders with Uzbekistan and 
Afghanistan for the Avian Flu virus.  Tajikistan has banned 
imports of chicken from ten countries including Russia and 
Kazakhstan.  Alternatively, they have imported 190 tons of 
chicken meat from the United States (Tyson's chickens are 
already showing up in the supermarkets) and Iran.  The 
government is working on developing its internal reserves of 
chicken in order not to rely on imports.  Mullodzhon Amirbekov, 
Tajikistan's chief veterinarian, reports that illegal poultry 
imports still continue.  A quarantine has been in place since 
mid-October on Tajikistan's five largest poultry farms. 
 
3.  The Deputy Minister of Health, Zievuddin Avgonov, told 
PolOff in order to implement an effective vaccination plan for 
the entire country, at least 25% of the population would need to 
be vaccinated, costing upwards of $6 million.  They have applied 
to several NGOs for funding, but have not received a response. 
In addition, the Ministry of Health has organized a roundtable 
on the topic of Avian Flu that was broadcast on public 
television.  They are working on developing education materials 
for widespread public dissemination as well as to target medical 
professionals, but lack the funding for publication. 
 
4.  Tajikistan is taking this threat of a pandemic seriously and 
is cooperating with regional governments as well as developing 
domestic strategies to stop the expansion of the disease. 
However, they lack the funds needed to implement their planned 
programs. 
 
 
HOAGLAND 
 
 
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