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 SECTION 01 OF 02 RANGOON 000259 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS; PACOM FOR FPA; USDA FOR FAS, APHIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/23/2016 
TAGS: EAGR EAID AMED PGOV PHUM PREL SOCI TBIO KFLU BM
SUBJECT: BURMA: CONVERGING ON AI ISSUES 
 
REF: A. RANGOON 171 
 
     ¶B. RANGOON 154 
     ¶C. RANGOON 124 
 
Classified By: Poloff Dean Tidwell for Reasons 1.4 (b, d) 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: USAID's Regional Infectious Diseases 
Advisor, on a second visit to Rangoon, encouraged WHO and FAO 
to identify needs and strengthen their capacity to 
investigate and respond to AI outbreaks in Burma.  The GOB 
updated its national response plan, but some responsible 
ministries still appear to be traveling on separate tracks. 
We do see signs that government ministries and UN agencies 
are beginning to increase coordination, but much work 
remains.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Dr. John MacArthur, USAID's Regional Infectious 
Diseases Advisor, visited Rangoon February 21-24.  He met 
with FAO and WHO to discuss gaps in coverage and how to 
strengthen their ability to investigate and respond to AI 
outbreaks.  FAO country representative Tang Zhengping noted 
that FAO lacks any veterinary experts on its team and could 
better support the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries (MLF) 
if it had an international veterinary technical advisor and a 
local counterpart.  Similarly, Dr. Adik Wibowo, the WHO 
country representative, felt that adding an epidemiology 
advisor to the WHO team would significantly increase WHO's 
effectiveness in investigating reports of AI outbreaks in 
Burma. 
 
¶3. (SBU) The EAC met on February 24 to discuss reports of new 
AI outbreaks in India and Malaysia.  The EAC agreed that no 
tripwires have been crossed, but that Post will closely 
monitor further AI developments in the region. 
 
¶4. (C) We recently obtained a draft of the revised Ministry 
of Health "National Strategic Plan for Prevention and Control 
of Avian Influenza and Human Influenza Preparedness and 
Response," dated January 31.  In addition, FAO provided us 
with a separate AI management plan, issued by the Ministry of 
Livestock and Fisheries on February 17.  Although the 
National AI Working Committee drafted the MOH publication, 
which appears to be the principal plan, the separate MLF plan 
reveals that ministries are not coordinating as closely as 
they should in drafting a comprehensive national plan. 
 
UN PERSPECTIVES ON AI 
 
¶5. (C) UN Resident Coordinator Charles Petrie described the 
lead roles FAO, WHO, and to a lesser degree UNICEF, play in 
addressing AI issues in Burma.  He stressed that these UN 
agencies need to work together more closely and admitted 
gaining their collaboration remains a challenge.  Petrie 
suggested that international donors might have greater 
leverage in coaxing the UN agencies to coordinate their 
efforts.  MacArthur agreed, noting that the good cooperation 
among UN agencies on AI issues in other countries in the 
region could serve as a model for Burma.  He suggested that 
increased coordination between WHO and FAO would also likely 
lead to improved cooperation between Burma's MOH and MLF. 
 
¶6. (C) Petrie said recently released GOB guidelines for UN 
agencies and international NGOs to operate in Burma could 
pose obstacles to AI activities if implemented (refs A and 
B).  According to Petrie, these guidelines are "definitely 
not helpful for our operations."  He characterized the UN 
agencies as "proactively resisting" the guidelines by trying 
to engage the GOB in a dialogue on more appropriate 
regulations.  Petrie also pointed out that "government 
concurrence" does not always guarantee "regime concurrence." 
He stressed the importance of obtaining commitments from the 
highest levels of the ruling military regime for programs to 
be successful in Burma. 
 
¶7. (SBU) On February 22, the WHO organized its third monthly 
"AI Information Sharing" meeting.  Dr. MacArthur gave a 
presentation on practical medical aspects of AI outbreaks in 
the region.  On a positive note, the MOH permitted a 
representative from MLF's Livestock Breeding and Veterinary 
Department (LBVD) to participate in the meeting.  Dr. Wibowo 
described this as a small victory in strengthening AI 
cooperation among government ministries.  Dr. Than Hla, 
Director for Disease Diagnosis and Control at LBVD, made a 
presentation at the meeting on AI animal surveillance 
activities. 
 
¶8. (SBU) COMMENT: We welcome signs that the GOB has increased 
inter-ministerial cooperation on AI issues.  The new AI 
strategic plan shows it is willing to adapt to new 
information and changing conditions.  However, broader 
consensus on the national plan and greater cooperation among 
government ministries and UN agencies remains elusive.  For 
example, the Ministry of Forestry oversees national parks, 
wildlife preserves, and bird sanctuaries, but has yet to join 
AI discussions.  U.S. expertise on AI has been 
enthusiastically welcomed by all parties and could help bring 
them together.  END COMMENT. 
VILLAROSA