VZCZCXRO6562
PP RUEHDBU RUEHLN RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHYE #0268/01 0541347
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 231347Z FEB 06
FM AMEMBASSY YEREVAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2513
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 0931
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 0436
RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHDC
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHDC 0052

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 YEREVAN 000268 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR OES, EUR/CARC - DSTAVROPOULOS, EUR/PGI - CCONNORS 
PLEASE PASS TO USAID - NBLANCHET 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KFLU TBIO ECON SENV AM
SUBJECT: AVIAN FLU UPDATE:  USG SUPPORT FOR IMPROVED 
PREPAREDNESS 
 
REF: A) STATE 23826 B) 05 YEREVAN 2197 C) YEREVAN 27 
 
     D) YEREVAN 208 E) YEREVAN 113 
 
YEREVAN 00000268  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
This cable is sensitive but unclassified.  Please protect 
accordingly. 
 
------- 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1. (SBU) Although there are still no reported cases of AI in 
Armenia, the government has begun to take steps to prepare. 
Motivation for the GOAM's new level of action has come not 
only from increasing AI reports from neighbors, but also from 
strong international community pressure, with the USG at the 
forefront.  This mission has been working with the government 
since August 2005 to raise awareness about avian influenza 
(AI) and increase the government's level of preparedness to 
respond to any possible outbreak.  In line with the actions 
suggested in ref A, we were the first member of the 
international donor community to fully engage with the GOAM 
on AI related issues and continue to play a leadership role 
both in encouraging appropriate GOAM action and in 
facilitating good coordination between members of the 
international donor community. 
 
¶2. (SBU) The USG has been particularly active in the 
agricultural sector, sponsoring an avian flu expert to assess 
agricultural preparedness in November 2005, and per that 
expert's advice, providing training and equipment to help the 
GOAM establish an active surveillance system.  The World Bank 
has agreed to purchase additional testing supplies to support 
the program developed by our AI expert.  We have also agreed 
to fund a culling expert's trip to Armenia, and the World 
Bank has indicated that they are planning to make procurement 
decisions drawing on the U.S. culling expert's advice.  On 
the communications front, we continue to work closely with 
UNICEF, the lead organization on public outreach efforts, and 
we have agreed to distribute certain education materials 
which UNICEF developed in coordination with the Ministries of 
Health and Education.  The Ambassador has prioritized public 
outreach to the Mission community, Americans living in 
Armenia and the general public, to ensure that people are 
aware of the threat posed by AI and appropriate measures they 
can take to minimize the risk.  End Summary. 
 
--------------------------------------------- 
ON-GOING, HIGH-LEVEL ENGAGEMENT WITH THE GOAM 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) Since August 2005, we have regularly raised the 
issue of AI with the GOAM at the highest levels.  The 
Ambassador has discussed AI preparedness with the Foreign 
Minister and the Ministers of Health and Agriculture.  On 
February 15, the Ambassador raised the issue with the Prime 
Minister and the two discussed the threat posed by the spring 
bird migration season, the need to protect domestic fowl from 
coming into contact with wild birds and the serious impact 
the threat of AI has had on the poultry industry in Armenia. 
The Ambassador also raised AI at the USATF mid-term review 
held on February 17 (septel).  We meet on a regular basis 
with the Ministers of Agriculture and Health to discuss AI 
and the USG Interagency Team which visited Armenia in late 
January (refs D and E) met with the Minster of Education to 
discuss ways to increase public awareness about AI and to 
better protect public health.  On February 21, we met with 
the Deputy Minister of Defense to discuss how best to protect 
Armenian troops and their families and the possible role the 
military might play in responding to an AI outbreak.  At the 
Ministry of Defense's request, we are organizing a joint 
meeting of the WHO, Ministry of Health and Ministry of 
Defense to further discuss these issues. 
 
--------------------------------------------- - 
STRONG AND EFFECTIVE COLLABORATION WITH DONORS 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶4. (SBU)  The USG has taken a leadership role in coordinating 
donor activities related to AI.  We are spearheading 
international donor efforts to assist the GOAM in combating 
AI in the agricultural sector.  We also work closely with the 
WHO and UNICEF, the lead organizations on human AI health 
 
YEREVAN 00000268  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
issues and public health outreach efforts, respectively. 
Strong internal coordination between the Embassy, USAID and 
USDA has allowed us to work with a unified voice.  We also 
regularly discuss AI with all USG donors at our bi-monthly 
Assistance Coordination Group meetings.  As a result of our 
good communications with the government and donors, we have 
established fruitful collaborations, especially with the 
World Bank.  For example, USAID-funded AI expert Dr. 
Elizabeth Krushinskie has traveled twice to Armenia in the 
past few months to assist with AI preparedness in the 
agricultural sector.  One of Krushinskie's key 
recommendations was that the GOAM establish an active 
surveillance system to test for the disease.  We coordinated 
with local representatives and a visiting team of experts 
from the World Bank to develop a joint program whereby 
Krushinskie provided training and 20 samples of rapid test 
kits to the GOAM and the World Bank agreed to support the 
purchase of 60 additional test kits according to 
Krushinskie's specifications.  Each kit can be used to test 
up to 20 suspect cases.  Krushinskie also provided training 
to the GOAM on sample collection and shipping techniques and 
provided the Ministry of Agriculture with 40 reusable 
shipping containers to send samples to international 
reference laboratories as appropriate.  USDA has agreed to 
sponsor two of Armenia's top laboratory technicians who work 
on AI issues to attend an AI testing and sample shipment 
training workshop in Ames, Iowa. 
 
¶5. (SBU) We are also collaborating with the World Bank on 
preparations for culling should it become necessary.  The 
World Bank told us that they would like to provide equipment 
and supplies to support culling in Armenia as appropriate. 
The Bank indicated that they could procure related equipment 
relatively quickly once Armenia's needs were fully 
identified.  USAID agreed to sponsor a technical expert in 
culling to assess current capacity and educate the GOAM on 
appropriate culling methods.  The World Bank plans to use the 
recommendations made by USAID's expert to determine what 
supplies and equipment it will provide.  USAID has identified 
a culling expert, Dr. Dan Karunkaran, who is tentatively 
scheduled to travel in Armenia from March 15-26.  The USG 
Interagency AI Team also donated 1,500 sets of personal 
protective equipment to the GOAM to be used by individuals 
involved in testing, culling, and treatment of human cases as 
needed (ref D). 
 
¶6. (SBU) In addition to coordination between international 
donors on the policy level, there has also been strong 
coordination on the ground.  For example, a USDA-sponsored 
agricultural NGO, the Center for Agricultural Research and 
Development (CARD), agreed to publish a UNICEF produced, and 
GOAM sanctioned, informational leaflet about AI in an 
agricultural journal which CARD distributes around the 
country, primarily to back-yard farmers in rural areas. 
USAID and UNICEF have also agreed to collaborate and a USAID 
health care implementor plans to distribute 10,000 copies of 
the UNICEF leaflet to rural communities. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
PUBLIC OUTREACH TO THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY AND BEYOND 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) We have repeatedly reached out to both the Mission 
community (American and local staff) and to other Americans 
in Armenia to ensure that they are well-informed about the 
risks associated with AI, safe food handling and ways to 
protect their community.  In response to the human AI deaths 
in Turkey, post's EAC met on January 5 (ref C).  After 
discussing the issues laid out in Yerevan's AI Tripwires (ref 
B), Post decided to issue a Warden Message to American 
citizens (issued on January 5, available on Post's website 
www.usa.am).  The Health Practitioner sent similar materials 
about the AI outbreak to all members of the Mission community 
as well.  Both the Ambassador and the DCM have spoken with 
the press about AI, public health and safe food handling and 
given television interviews which focused exclusively on AI. 
The USG Interagency Team held a press conference about AI on 
January 25 (ref E).  On February 20, the CDA spoke at a 
public forum on Public Health and AI at the American 
University of Armenia.  Both events received broad coverage 
in the local media.  We are also planning to update the 
community on AI at a Mission-wide town hall meeting scheduled 
 
YEREVAN 00000268  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
for February 24. 
 
------- 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶8. (SBU)  Overall, USG and donor coordination on AI 
preparedness in Armenia has been and continues to be strong. 
There is wide-spread agreement within the donor community 
that Armenia needs to prioritize establishing an active 
agricultural surveillance program and preparing for the 
possibility of culling.  Thanks to USG efforts and support, 
the GOAM has received training and supplies to begin an 
agricultural surveillance program and to send samples to an 
international reference lab as required.  We expect that the 
GOAM will begin testing suspicious samples in the very near 
future.  UNICEF has taken a leadership role on the 
communications front and we are pleased to continue to 
support their efforts.  Taking advantage of the high profile 
the USG enjoys in Armenia we have also been able to raise 
awareness about AI and food safety.  We will continue to work 
diligently to assist the GOAM in enhancing its ability to 
respond to the AI threat. 
EVANS