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Viewing cable 06ASHGABAT528, AVIAN FLU: WHO SHARES ASSESSMENT RESULTS; WORLD

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
06ASHGABAT528 2006-05-17 10:10 2011-08-30 01:44 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Ashgabat
VZCZCXRO7654
RR RUEHDBU RUEHLN RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHAH #0528/01 1371010
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 171010Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7335
INFO RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 2543
RUEHNT/AMEMBASSY TASHKENT 4955
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 1630
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 1272
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1167
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0347
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC//DHO-2/REA/NMJIC-J2//
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC//J5/RUE//
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RHMFIUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL//CCJ2/HSE/CCJ5//
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000528 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR SCA/CEN (PERRY) 
ANKARA FOR AGRICULTURE COUNSELOR JAMES HIGGISTON 
TASHKENT FOR ESTH (PUTNAM) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR ETRD PGOV KFLU TX
SUBJECT: AVIAN FLU: WHO SHARES ASSESSMENT RESULTS; WORLD 
BANK TO ASSIST GOTX 
 
REFTEL:      A) ASHGABAT 385 AND PREVIOUS 
             B) 05 STATE 153802 
 
Sensitive But Unclassified; Not for Internet 
Distribution. 
 
1.  (SBU) SUMMARY.  A WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO) 
AVIAN INFLUENZA PREPAREDNESS ASSESSMENT TEAM VISITED 
ASHGABAT APRIL 2-14 TO CONDUCT TWO SEMINARS AND ASSESS AI 
PREPAREDNESS AT GOTX FACILITIES.  THE ASSESSMENT TEAM'S 
UNPUBLISHED FINDINGS, RELAYED TO EMBASSY STAFF BY WHO'S 
LIAISON OFFICER IN ASHGABAT, WERE THAT OBSERVED HOSPITAL 
STAFF HAD INADEQUATE KNOWLEDGE OF INFECTION CONTROL 
TECHNIQUES, AND OBSERVED LABORATORY PERSONNEL HAD POOR 
UNDERSTANDING OF BIOSAFETY NORMS AND INADEQUATE SAMPLE 
STORAGE EQUIPMENT.  THE ASSESSMENT TEAM ALSO MET WITH 
DEPUTY CHAIRMAN FOR EDUCATION, HEALTH, SCIENCE AND 
CULTURE BERDIMUHAMMEDOV, WHO REQUESTED ADDITIONAL FUNDING 
FOR AI PREPAREDNESS.  BERDIMUHAMMEDOV THEN PASSED FOR 
CONSIDERATION A $1 MILLION WHO AND UNICEF-DRAFTED 
ASSISTANCE PROPOSAL TO THE WORLD BANK RESIDENT 
REPRESENTATIVE.  BOTH SIDES REVIEWED THE PROPOSAL AT A 
MAY 12 MEETING, AND THE WORLD BANK AGREED TO SEND A 
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ASSESSMENT TEAM TO TURKMENISTAN. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (SBU) A WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO) AVIAN 
INFLUENZA PREPAREDNESS ASSESSMENT TEAM VISITED ASHGABAT 
APRIL 2-14 TO CONDUCT TWO SEMINARS AND ASSESS AI 
PREPAREDNESS AT GOTX FACILITIES.  THE SEMINARS WERE ON 
ANIMAL-HUMAN INTERFACE FOR VETERINARY AND MEDICAL SERVICE 
EPIDEMIOLOGISTS AND ON INFECTION CONTROLS FOR NURSES. 
WHILE THE ASSESSMENT TEAM HAS NOT YET RELEASED ITS 
REPORT, THE WHO'S LIAISON OFFICER IN ASHGABAT REPORTED TO 
EMBASSY STAFF THE TEAM'S CORE FINDINGS: 
 
-- THE TEAM REVIEWED INFECTION TRANSMISSION CONTROLS IN 
ASHGABAT'S INFECTIOUS DISEASE HOSPITAL AND FOUND THAT 
STAFF HAD INADEQUATE KNOWLEDGE OF HOW TO PREVENT 
TRANSMISSION OF THE INFECTION FROM INFECTED PATIENTS. 
THE TEAM RECOMMENDED TRAINING TO CORRECT THIS KNOWLEDGE 
GAP. 
 
-- THE TEAM ASSESSED TWO LABS -- ONE AT THE VETERINARY 
SERVICE AND ONE AT THE ASHGABAT SANITARY AND 
EPIDEMIOLOGICAL SERVICE OF THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH (MOH). 
THE TEAM FOUND THAT MOH HAD PURCHASED POLYMERASE CHAIN 
REACTION (PCR) EQUIPMENT TO DIAGNOSE AI, BUT HAD NOT 
TRAINED THE LAB'S STAFF ON HOW TO USE THE EQUIPMENT. 
BOTH LABS HAD NEITHER BIOSAFETY CABINETS NOR 
REFRIGERATORS RATED TO -20 DEGREES CELSIUS, WHICH ARE 
NEEDED TO PROPERLY STORE AI SAMPLES. THE STAFF'S 
UNDERSTANDING OF BIOSAFETY WAS VERY LOW, ACCORDING TO THE 
TEAM, AND STAFF DID NOT OBSERVE NECESSARY BIOSAFETY 
PRECAUTIONS. 
 
-- THE MISSION ALSO VISITED A PRIVATE COMMERCIAL CHICKEN 
EGG FARM IN THE ASHGABAT SUBURB OF USHELYE.  THE TEAM 
FOUND THAT THE FARM POSSESSED HIGH-TECH, MODERN 
EQUIPMENT, STRONG VETERINARY CONTROLS, AND ALL REQUIRED 
PROTECTIVE GEAR (ROBES, SHOE COVERS AND MASKS). (NOTE: 
THE USHELYE FARM MAY BE ONE BELONGING TO PRESIDENT 
NIYAZOV.  POST EXPECTS THAT OTHER EGG FARMS ARE LESS WELL- 
EQUIPPED AND HAVE POORER VETERINARY CONTROLS.  END NOTE.) 
 
3.  (SBU) THE TEAM ALSO MET WITH DEPUTY CHAIRMAN FOR 
EDUCATION, HEALTH, SCIENCE AND CULTURE GURBANGULY 
BERDIMUHAMMEDOV TO PRESENT RECOMMENDATIONS ON IMPROVING 
GOTX AI PREPAREDNESS.  BERDIMUHAMMEDOV AGREED WITH THE 
TEAM'S RECOMMENDATIONS, ACCORDING TO THE WHO LIAISON 
OFFICER, BUT SAID THE GOTX REQUIRED ADDITIONAL FUNDS.  HE 
 
ASHGABAT 00000528  002 OF 002 
 
 
ASKED THE LOCAL UNITED NATIONS AI COORDINATION GROUP TO 
DRAFT A GOTX PROPOSAL FOR ADDITIONAL WORLD BANK 
ASSISTANCE.  BERDIMUHAMEDOV THEN SIGNED AND PASSED THE 
WHO- AND UNICEF-DRAFTED PROPOSAL TO THE UN RESIDENT 
REPRESENTATIVE. 
 
4. (SBU) BERDIMUHAMMEDOV AND THE WORLD BANK 
REPRESENTATIVE IN TURKMENISTAN MET ON MAY 12 TO DISCUSS 
THE PROPOSAL AND ALLOCATION OF ABOUT $1 MILLION FOR 
TURKMENISTAN'S AI PREPAREDNESS.  BASED ON THE 
DISCUSSIONS, THE WORLD BANK WILL SEND A TECHNICAL 
ASSISTANCE ASSESSMENT TEAM TO HELP GOTX BETTER UNDERSTAND 
ITS AI PREVENTION AND RESPONSE NEEDS. 
 
BRUSH