This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

C O N F I D E N T I A L DJIBOUTI 000479 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF AND AF/E 
STATE PASS USAID 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/01/2014 
TAGS: DJ EAID KHIV PGOV PHUM PREL TBIO
SUBJECT: MINISTRY OF HEALTH FOCUS ON INFECTIOUS DISEASES 
AND HIV/AIDS IN DJIBOUTI 
 
 
Classified By: AMBASSADOR MARGUERITA D. RAGSDALE. 
REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). 
 
¶1.  (C) According to Djibouti's Minister of Health, Dr. 
Mohammed Ali Kamil, most recent studies indicate that the 
rate of HIV/AIDS infection in Djibouti is about 3 percent. 
During the Ambassador's courtesy call on him, the Minister 
said this rate indicates that Djibouti is in a state of 
"generalized infection," which needs to be controlled before 
it becomes too late.  The small size of the country, he 
added, could make the fight against HIV/AIDS very efficient, 
in actuality, if donor assistance in the campaign against 
HIV/AIDS is made available. 
 
¶2. (C) Kamil said assistance from donors should focus first 
on regional disease-prevention programs since most of the 
patients with infectious diseases are foreigners from Somalia 
or Ethiopia (75 per cent in the districts and 50 per cent in 
Djibouti city). Indeed, he continued, most of the 4,000 
tuberculosis cases in Djibouti are Ethiopians. They are 
depleting Djiboutian resources, he claimed.  Kamil noted 
World Bank funding of a program aimed at reducing infectious 
diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria generally in 
Djibouti. "This is the most important area of support 
Djibouti requires," he said. 
 
¶3. (U) The Minister also said UNICEF assists the Ministry of 
Health in the areas of vaccinations, mother-child health 
care, and mother-child HIV/AIDS transmission, with a total 
budget of USD 681,000 for 2004.  The World Health 
Organization contributed USD 500,000 of this amount, he said. 
 
 
¶4. (U) In this regard, Kamil told Ambassador that Djibouti 
wishes to be eligible for President Bush's Global AIDS 
Initiative. He expressed the view that his Ministry and 
Djibouti's health sector had completed a number of reforms 
that would support eligibility. It is the only country in the 
region with comprehensive HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment 
capabilities.  Moreover, Djibouti has designated seven 
centers for HIV/AIDS treatment and has appointed an HIV/AIDS 
Coordination Committee comprised of 11 ministries. 
 
¶5. (U)  Comment: Current USAID programming in Djibouti 
already includes an additional focus on prevention of 
infectious diseases including tuberculosis, malaria and 
HIV/AIDS.  Its total obligation through a Strategic Objective 
Grant Agreement for Health with the Government of the 
Republic of Djibouti is USD 12 million.  End comment. 
RAGSDALE