US embassy cable - 05HANOI3124

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 HANOI 003124 
 
SIPDIS 
 
BANGKOK FOR USAID/RDM-A 
STATE FOR G; CA/OCS/ACS/EAP; EAP/EX; EAP/BCLTV; EAP/EP; INR; 
OES/STC (PBATES); OES/IHA (DSINGER AND NCOMELLA) 
BANGKOK FOR RMO, CDC, USAID/RDM/A (MFRIEDMAN AND JMACARTHUR) 
USDA FOR FAS/PASS TO APHIS 
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE FOR OSD/ISA/AP (LSTERN) 
USAID FOR ANE AND GH (DCARROLL, SCLEMENTS AND PCHAPLIN) 
STATE PASS USTR (ELENA BRYAN) 
STATE ALSO PASS HHS/OGHA (EELVANDER) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AMED, AMGT, CASC, EAGR, PINR, SOCI, PGOV, TBIO, VM, AFLU 
SUBJECT: VIETNAM: AVIAN INFLUENZA WEEKLY REPORT FOR NOVEMBER 
25, 2005 
 
REF: A) HANOI 3113, B) HANOI 3035, C) HANOI 3008 
 
1.  (SBU) Summary.  There were no new confirmed human Avian 
Influenza (AI) deaths since the October 29 death.  The total 
number of AI-affected provinces and cities rose to 17 out of 
Vietnam's 64 provinces and cities, despite the de-listing of 
two provinces in the Mekong Delta and Hanoi city. 
Newspapers report over one million fowls have been culled 
nationwide; 134 million fowl have been vaccinated, which is 
40 percent of the total number set in the national plan.  Ho 
Chi Minh City (HCMC) and six neighboring provinces in 
southern Vietnam signed an agreement for a joint program of 
action against bird flu and human flu type A.  The Mission 
delivered further demarches to the Government of Vietnam 
(GVN) to protest Vietnam's ban on poultry imports that 
included U.S. products.  GVN appealed to the international 
non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for USD 50 million for 
AI activities during 2006-07 and USD 150 million through 
2010.  USAID activities for AI public awareness and training 
are poised to begin in early December once GVN ministries 
concur to content of outreach and surveys materials.  State- 
run newspaper conducts undercover investigation to reveal 
corruption and ineptitude among local officials in HCMC 
responsible for enforcing AI regulations.  End Summary. 
 
No New Confirmed AI Human Fatalities 
------------------------------------ 
 
2.  (U) There have been no new confirmed AI human fatalities 
since the October 29 death of a Hanoi man reported 
previously.  On November 22, doctors from the Hai Phong 
Department of Health in northern Vietnam told Reuters that a 
15-year old boy was confirmed to have contracted H5N1 virus 
and was reported to be in stable condition.  This has not 
been confirmed to us yet by the World Health Organization 
(WHO).  Meanwhile, four other flu victims, including a 
veterinarian who was in close contact with poultry, have 
tested negative for AI. 
 
Infections in Poultry Spread 
---------------------------- 
 
3.  (U) Long An became the latest province in Vietnam to 
report a bird flu outbreak in animals, raising the total 
number of AI-affected areas to 17 of the 64 provinces and 
cities.  These include Bac Giang, Bac Ninh, Cao Bang, Hai 
Duong, Hoa Binh, Hung yen, Ninh Binh, Phu Tho, Son La, Thai 
Binh, Thai Nguyen, Thanh Hoa, Haiphong, Vinh in Northern 
Vietnam; Quang Nam and Quang Ngai in Central Vietnam; and 
Long An in Southern Vietnam.  The outbreak in Long An 
Province was confirmed on November 23 after positive test 
results indicated 72 chickens and 12 ducks from Ben Luc 
Commune had died November 14 from AI.  Earlier in the week, 
Hanoi, Dong Thap and Bac Lieu Provinces in the Mekong Delta 
were withdrawn from the list because no new infections were 
detected.  Deputy Head of the Veterinary Department of the 
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) Bui 
Quang Anh was reported in the press as saying that the bird 
flu was "spreading fast in poultry stocks in northern Hai 
Duong and central Thanh Hoa Provinces, showing the weak 
efforts made by the authorities and farmers in a fight 
against bird flu epidemic." 
 
4.  (U) According to various state-run newspapers, over 1 
million fowl have been culled in outbreak areas nationwide. 
Among bird flu-hit localities, northern Bac Giang Province 
is reported to have the lead in culling 284,000 fowl, 
followed by Danang, Hanoi, and northern Hai Duong province 
with respective figures of 206,000 birds, 143,000 and 
112,000 respectively. 
 
5.  (U) Newspapers also report 134 million fowls have been 
vaccinated, which is 40 percent of the total number set in a 
national plan.  The National Steering Committee for Bird Flu 
Prevention has ordered authorities across the country to 
step up poultry vaccination efforts in order to reach their 
goal of vaccinating 80 percent of the domestic fowls by late 
November 2005. 
 
HCMC and Southern Provinces Join Efforts to Control Bird Flu 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
6.  (U) HCMC and six neighboring provinces of Dong Nai, Tay 
Ninh, Binh Duong, Long An, Tien Giang, and Ba Ria-Vung Tau 
in southern Vietnam signed an agreement on November 21 for a 
joint program of action against bird flu and human flu type 
A.  Under the joint program, the city and its neighboring 
provinces will join forces for supervision and prevention of 
bird flu; share a common husbandry development scheme 
meeting hygienic and veterinarian conditions; and, control 
the transport of birds.  HCMC will assist provinces in 
building abattoirs and develop a close circle in poultry 
rearing, slaughtering and distribution 
 
Poultry Imports Ban Demarche Delivered 
-------------------------------------- 
 
7.  (SBU) The Agricultural Attache delivered two demarches 
to MARD referring to Vietnam's ban on poultry imports 
(reftel A).  In the second meeting on November 23, MARD Vice 
Minister Bui Ba Bong indicated that the "resolution" by the 
Prime Minister had banned imports of poultry and poultry 
products for all countries because of time constraints. 
MARD would consider adding implementing "details" to the 
resolution that would take into account World Organization 
for Animal Health (OIE) guidelines that advise against bans 
on countries free of AI such as the United States.  However, 
the Vice Minister did not offer a promise that this would 
result in an exemption from the ban for U.S. poultry and 
poultry products. 
 
Appeals to NGO Community for Assistance 
--------------------------------------- 
 
8.  (U) On November 21, the Vietnam Union of Friendship 
Organization (VUFO) called a meeting with international NGOs 
in Hanoi to exchange information on bird flu in Vietnam and 
seek further funding for the country to curb the epidemic. 
The GVN appealed for USD 50 million to fight against bird 
flu during 2006-07 and USD 150 million through 2010.  As 
reported in reftel C, the United Nations Development Program 
(UNDP) estimated that at least USD 120 million of additional 
donor assistance is needed for long-term AI planning and 
response.  The local press favorably noted U.S. support to 
Vietnam AI prevention efforts for this year worth USD 6.5 
million. 
 
Update on USAID AI Public Education Activities 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
9.  (U) Under USAID contract to the Academy for Education 
and Development (AED) will be subcontracted to Veterinarians 
Without Borders (VSF-CICDA) who will provide support for the 
training of animal health workers to use the FAO/DAH/VSF 
guidebook on the prevention and control of avian flu in 
backyard poultry farms.  Five thousand private and public 
veterinarians and paravets from ten high-risk provinces in 
the Mekong and Red River Deltas will be trained to use and 
disseminate the information contained in the guidebook to 
the one million clients they serve.  VSF will first provide 
training of trainers to ten district veterinarians who in 
turn will train the paravets and other vets.  VSF-CICDA will 
provide follow-up and monitoring of the training.  The 
training will commence the first week of December and 
conclude in mid-January.  Mission hopes to expand the 
training to other provinces if and when more funding becomes 
available. 
 
10.  (U) USAID is awaiting approval from the Minister of 
Agriculture and Rural Development for clearance to begin a 
quick survey on the most appropriate public education 
outreach materials.  The proposed USAID/AED contract will 
provide technical assistance and support to train 
information officers of the Ministry of Culture and 
Information in AI to ensure that correct and appropriate 
information is disseminated through the media.  Also, USAID 
was informed this week that the UNDP had selected a 
coordinator for intra-donor coordination. 
 
11.  (U) The NGO Resource Center in Hanoi is recruiting an 
information officer to support coordination between NGOs, 
the government and donors.  An increasing number of NGOs are 
becoming involved in the effort to control AI.  They 
expressed the need to share information, ensure consistency 
in messages and coordinate programming.  A website will be 
set up in addition to other information sharing activities. 
A staff person should begin work in late November through 
February 2006.  The cost of this position will be shared 
between AED, WHO and Plan International. 
 
12.  (U) Regionally, Indochina Research Ltd has been 
contracted by AED to conduct knowledge, attitudes and 
practices (KAP) surveys and focus group discussions among 
rural backyard poultry farmers in Vietnam, Cambodia and 
Laos.  This research will provide information that will be 
used for the development of messages and communication 
strategy.  The KAP survey will also provide baseline 
information against which knowledge and behavioral change 
will be measured.   In Vietnam, 600 farmers will be 
interviewed and four focus group discussions conducted. 
Survey questionnaire and question guides have been developed 
and the research is awaiting approval from MARD. 
 
Free Range Reporters in HCMC 
---------------------------- 
13.  (U) According to the Washington Post, two Vietnamese 
reporters working for state-run Thanh Nien newspaper filed a 
controversial, undercover report on slaughterhouses in HCMC 
that revealed corruption and ineptitude among local 
government officials and was ultimately praised by city 
council members.  Posing as novice chicken mongers and armed 
with hidden cameras, the reporters documented merchants 
purchasing fake health certificates that claimed their birds 
were free of AI, a poultry inspector asleep at his post, and 
shoddy roadside inspections.  The HCMC People's Council, the 
city's top governing body, subsequently praised the 
reporters and ordered officials to report on the 
irregularities uncovered by the newspaper's investigation. 
MARINE