VZCZCXRO9100
RR RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB RUEHPOD
DE RUEHHI #0725/01 1081105
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 181105Z APR 07
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5161
INFO RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH 2902
RUEHZS/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE
RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 5618
RUEHJA/AMEMBASSY JAKARTA 0660
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 3121
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 5680
RUEHVN/AMEMBASSY VIENTIANE 3943
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 1147
RUEHGZ/AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU 0795
RUEHCN/AMCONSUL CHENGDU 0296
RUEHSUN/USUN ROME IT
RUEHIN/AIT TAIPEI 1482
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC//USDP/ISA/AP//
RHMFISS/CJCS WASHINGTON DC//J2/J3/J5//
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC//DHO-3//
RHMFIUU/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI//J00/J2/J3/J5//
RHEFAFM/DIRAFMIC FT DETRICK MD//MA-1A//

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 HANOI 000725 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS, EAP/EP, INR, OES/STC, OES/IHA, MED 
STATE PASS TO USAID FOR ANE AND GH 
STATE PASS TO HHS/OGHA (STIEGER, BELL AND BHAT) 
STATE PASS TO CDC (COX AND MOHEN) 
USDA PASS TO APHIS 
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE FOR OSD/ISA/AP (STERN) 
BANGKOK FOR RMO, CDC, USAID (MACARTHUR AND BRADY) 
ROME FOR FAO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TBIO KFLU AMED AMGT CASC EAGR PINR SOCI VM
SUBJECT: AVIAN INFLUENZA UPDATE -  SPORADIC ANIMAL OUTBREAKS 
CONTINUE 
 
 
HANOI 00000725  001.2 OF 004 
 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED 
 
REF: 
 
 ¶1. (U) Summary: Since mid-February, sporadic outbreaks of H5N1 
avian influenza (AI) have occurred in isolated poultry flocks.  The 
outbreaks have been readily controlled by the Government of Vietnam 
(GVN).  No human cases were found.  Local media reports that the 
2007 poultry vaccination program is behind schedule.  The Minister 
of Health (MOH) confirmed that the GVN will cooperate with 
international organizations and other governments in sharing 
information.  News of USG expected FY2007 AI funding for Vietnam is 
mixed, with increased funding for USAID but decreased funding for 
CDC programs in country.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (U) There have been no reported confirmed cases of H5N1 AI in 
humans since November 2005. 
 
 CONTINUING ANIMAL OUTBREAKS 
-------------------------- 
 
¶3. (U) Sporadic isolated poultry AI outbreaks continue to occur 
following GVN's mid-February declaration that Vietnam is AI-free. 
They have occurred in several provinces in southern delta and 
northern regions.  These outbreaks have involved unvaccinated 
hatchling populations, mostly duck flocks.  Involved provinces 
include Ha Tay and Hanoi in the northern region and Vihn Long, Can 
Tho, and Ca Mau provinces in the southern region.  Animal health 
authorities quickly confirmed the presence of the virus, culled the 
affected flocks, and bolstered local prevention and control efforts. 
 
 
¶4. (U) Comment: The current wave of poultry outbreaks from December 
2006 through the present has affected 11 provinces and about 100,000 
birds have been culled.  In the two previous waves (5 months from 
December 2004 to April 2005, and 3 months from October to December 
2005) there were more provinces effected (36 and 18) and more birds 
reported culled (1,800,000 and 4,000,000).  Therefore, by 
comparison, the current wave of outbreaks is relatively minor. 
Further, the current wave has been restricted almost entirely to 
unvaccinated hatchlings, mostly duck flocks, and has not appreciably 
spread to mature or vaccinated ducks or chickens.  The downward 
trend parallels persistent and aggressive control activity by the 
GVN and support from international donors. 
 
¶5. (U) The National Steering Board for the Prevention and Fight 
against AI in Humans requested that localities reinforce their 
preventive measures against AI in both poultry and humans.  Related 
agencies are required to work closely at border checkpoints to 
promptly detect suspected cases.  Fifteen provincial and municipal 
television stations broadcasted AI awareness programming and the GVN 
plans to air radio versions of the program in 10 ethnic minority 
languages. 
 
¶6. (U) Local media reports that the 2007 poultry vaccination program 
is behind schedule.  Only seven provinces, including Hanoi, have 
completed first round vaccinations.  Thirty-four of Vietnam's 64 
provinces and cities are preparing to vaccinate more than 47 million 
birds.  In previous years, the GVN purchased low-cost poultry 
 
HANOI 00000725  002.2 OF 004 
 
 
vaccines from Chinese suppliers.  Le Minh Sat, Deputy Director of 
the Science and Technology Department of the Ministry of Science and 
Technology (MOST), reported to national media that Vietnam expects 
to start domestic vaccine production this September.  MOST is 
expected to complete project evaluations later this month. 
 
¶7. (SBU) In a meeting with FAO, MARD Minister Phat has mentioned 
that the efficacy of the vaccines in fowl has declined and in his 
view a greater capacity for sequencing and possibly vaccine 
production is needed.  He said that two years ago the imported 
Chinese vaccine was 80 pecent effective; last year 67 percent, and 
currently it is only 60 percent.  In-country and regional experts 
have said that this is consistent with the larger picture that 
Vietnam needs to move beyond emergency measures and look at more 
internal capacity development. 
 
¶8. (U) While speaking at a pandemic influenza planning conference in 
Hanoi on April 6, Minister of Health Tran Thi Trung Chien said that 
Vietnam is mobilizing all available resources to combat AI in 
humans, including stockpiling medications and working to improve 
public awareness.  The Minister affirmed that the country would 
strengthen coordination among ministries and increase the first 
responder capacity.  She also pledged to fully cooperate and share 
information with international organizations and governments 
combating AI.  Dr. Nguyen Huy Nga, Director of the Vietnamese 
Administration for Preventive Medicine (VAPM), MOH, reported to 
local media that Vietnam has an ample supply of Tamiflu (oseltamivir 
phosphate) to combat outbreaks of AI in humans.  Vietnam will 
receive around 71,000 doses of Tamiflu out of the 500,000 doses that 
the Japanese Government pledged to give to Southeast Asian 
countries. 
 
¶9. (SBU) USAID's Regional Mission organized an AI partners' meeting 
in Bangkok on April 3 and 4.  Dr. Dennis Carroll, Director of 
USAID's Avian and Pandemic Influenza Response Unit, noted that when 
USAID support for AI programs began in 2006, AI activity was 
reported in six countries.  Today it is present in 56.  He 
highlighted the progress being made in Vietnam, Thailand, and 
Indonesia but cautioned all participants that a regional epidemic 
would still inflict heavy casualties and cause a breakdown in local 
food supplies.  Vietnam actions set an example of what the other 
countries will have to do.  In this regard, USAID already has been 
funding government delegations from Sri Lanka and Egypt to come to 
Hanoi to share best practices of their Vietnamese counterparts. 
 
10.(SBU) With respect to FY2007 funding, USD 161 million has been 
programmed in the last 18 months with approximately 46 million of 
that going to AI programs in Southeast Asia.  For this year, should 
the AI supplemental for USAID presently before Congress be approved, 
he expected a similar amount to be made available to support 
activities in Southeast Asia.  Given the progress to date, there 
should be, however, a shift from quote emergency unquote assistance 
to more medium term strategies.  He estimates, pending the 
Congressional appropriations, that the individual country level for 
Vietnam should be in the range of USD 5 to 8 million and that will 
be channeled through USAID (note: this range represents a possible 
increase).  In designing our activities, the country team will be 
looking maintaining our support for the current government strategy 
that we and other donors subscribe to while simultaneously assisting 
 
HANOI 00000725  003.2 OF 004 
 
 
MARD and MOH to begin transitioning to more medium term strategies 
for the control of the H5N1 virus. 
 
¶11. (U) The GVN has approved the first year of a 5-year USD 1.15 
million cooperative agreement with the U.S. Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention (CDC) on the Control and Prevention of AI in 
Humans (2007-2012).  This is the last step leading to VAPM, MOH, 
utilization of FY2006 funds.  This broad project encompasses 
activities on the human side under all three Presidential pillars: 
preparedness and communication; surveillance and detection; and 
response and containment. 
 
¶12. (SBU) Given overall funding constraints, CDC Atlanta has 
appraised CDC-Vietnam that cooperative agreements previously funded 
from an emergency supplemental source will experience an approximate 
50 percent budget reduction in FY2007.  This is expected to decrease 
the cooperative agreement funding with VAPM from USD 1.3 million to 
USD  525,000. Discussion with the MOH has begun around modifications 
of plans; activities are expected to be curtailed. 
 
¶13. (U) USAID is providing USD 45,000 for the NGO Agronomes and 
Veterinaires Sans Frontieres (AVFS) to maintain its AI prevention 
work in Vietnam.  The Phase II project will be continue to work in 
coordination with MARD, provincial animal health departments, and 
private partners such as Pfizer Animal Health, Synbiotics, Evialis, 
Cargill, and Pronconco.  The project will train first responders on 
outbreak investigation, epidemiology, and safe poultry handling. 
 
¶14. (U) On April 17, USAID and HHS held the USG AI Coordination 
Meeting with USG-funded implementing NGOs and contractors.  The 
meeting looked at past USAID-funded programming and participants 
discussed areas for improvement including more in-depth program 
evaluation, a focus on program sustainability, increasing 
communication between animal health and human health agencies, 
increasing the beneficiary pool to include groups (e.g., poultry 
transporters and slaughters) and increasing programs geographic 
coverage. 
 
¶15. (U) On April 12, the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) and the World 
Bank (WB) signed a USD 38 million loan to fund an AI prevention and 
control project, allowing the implementation of the Avian Influenza 
Emergency Recovery Project.  The International Development 
Association, the entity within the World Bank Group which provides 
concessional funds for low-income countries, will finance the 
project at USD 20 million.  The EU and Japan will fund USD 15 
million with the GVN providing the additional USD 3 million.  The 
project is broken into five components:  a) AI Control and 
Eradication in the Agricultural Sector; b) Influenza Prevention and 
Pandemic Preparedness in the Health Sector; c) Integration and 
Coordination; d) Results Monitoring and Evaluation; and e) Project 
Management.  The provinces receiving support include Lang Son, Ha 
Tay, Thai Binh, Thanh Hoa, Ha Tinh, Thua Thien-Hue, Binh Dinh, Tay 
Ninh, Long An, Tien Giang, and Dong Thap, which have all been hit by 
animal AI outbreaks. 
 
¶16. (U) Dr. Nguyen Huy Nga, Director of VAPM, MOH, was reported to 
say that there is a sufficient amount of Tamiflu stored for the 
fight against the deadly H5N1 virus in Vietnam.  Vietnam will 
receive around 71,000 doses of Tamiflu out of the 500,000 doses that 
 
HANOI 00000725  004.2 OF 004 
 
 
the Japanese Government pledged to give to Southeast Asian 
countries. 
 
¶17. (U) USAID held 2-day training-of-trainers workshops for human 
and animal health workers on the use of personal protective 
equipment (PPE) and decontamination kits in Hanoi on April 12 and 
13, and in Ho Chi Minh City on April 16 and 17.  Participants 
learned about safe work practices for gathering samples and 
preparing them for shipment to reference laboratories.  The training 
augments the March 2006 provision of PPE equipment and 
decontamination kits. 
 
¶18. (SBU) Comment: The GVN continues to effectively control sporadic 
outbreaks, while investing in improving capacity to prevent and 
respond.  Putting funds in place and beginning expenditure takes 
time.  Overall, bilateral USG funding for AI programs is relatively 
low compared with the total for multilateral joint UNDP and WB 
projects. Coordination, especially in the provision of technical 
assistance, is critical to best leverage USG investment.  End 
Comment. 
 
ALOISI