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Viewing cable 07YEREVAN508, EXERCISING AVIAN FLU RESPONSE PLANS IN ARMENIA

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
07YEREVAN508 2007-04-25 13:30 2011-08-30 01:44 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Yerevan
VZCZCXRO6475
RR RUEHDBU RUEHLN RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHYE #0508 1151330
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 251330Z APR 07
FM AMEMBASSY YEREVAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5397
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS YEREVAN 000508 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/CARC, G/AIAG 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TBIO EARG KFLU AM
SUBJECT: EXERCISING AVIAN FLU RESPONSE PLANS IN ARMENIA 
 
REF: STATE 50514 
 
Sensitive but unclassified.  Please protect accordingly. 
 
1. (U) This cable, a response to reftel, details the GOAM's 
recent actions to improve avian influenza (AI) preparedness, 
test existing response plans and improve diagnostic and 
response capacity.  On March 27, the World Health 
Organization (WHO) and Food and Agriculture Organization 
(FAO), with financial support from USAID, jointly organized a 
one-day AI tabletop simulation exercise.  The simulation 
included representatives from the Ministries of Health and 
Agriculture and other key agencies who are responsible for 
responding in the event of an AI outbreak.  It was evident 
from the simulation, that Armenia's response capacity for an 
AI outbreak in birds is much more well developed than its 
capacity to respond to a human outbreak.  The GOAM is working 
to redress the latter deficiency and we expect to see 
improvement in the near future. 
 
-------------------------------------- 
GROWING AGRICULTURAL RESPONSE CAPACITY 
-------------------------------------- 
 
2. (U) Armenia has significantly improved its ability to 
respond to a bird AI outbreak.  Thanks to a project with 
USAID, the Agriculture Ministry has two equipped 
rapid-response vehicles which can be deployed in the event of 
a suspected outbreak for sampling and quarantine purposes and 
a functioning PCR-equipped central veterinary lab to confirm 
field diagnostics.  The GOAM has also committed to sending 
samples to an international laboratory if needed; it prefers 
to use the Vladimir lab in Russia over the Wheybridge lab in 
the U.K.  The Agricultural Ministry also collaborated closely 
with USDA, USAID, and the FAO to provide extensive training 
and equipment to local veterinarians on AI diagnostics and 
response. 
 
------------------------------- 
LIMITED HUMAN RESPONSE CAPACITY 
------------------------------- 
 
3. (SBU) Armenia's response plan in the event of a human AI 
outbreak is much less well developed.  In effect, health 
authorities have no real response plan.  To date, they have 
focused more on commodity requests from international donors 
than on concrete operational readiness.   Some staff from the 
Health Ministry have participated in international trainings 
on AI response but local health care providers need 
additional training in diagnostics, treatment and crisis 
response to react properly to a suspected outbreak.  As a 
follow-up to the AI simulation exercise held on March 27, WHO 
conducted a workshop in Yerevan from April 11-12 to help 
hospital directors better understand the WHO's role in the 
event of a human outbreak and to provide practical examples 
of hospital preparedness planning.  The Health Ministry is 
concerned that it would have to rely on private labs for 
in-country human health diagnostics.  The CDC recently 
awarded a USD 350,000 grant to the Health Ministry to improve 
its AI diagnostic and response capacity. 
 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
COMMUNICATIONS: SPREADING INFORMATION, NOT ALARM 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
4. (U) While Armenia has yet to have a diagnosed case of H5N1 
in either birds or humans, outbreaks in neighboring countries 
caused public concern that peaked in March and April 2006. 
During that time, many farmers killed their backyard poultry 
flocks and the commercial poultry industry virtually 
collapsed.  Since then, the GOAM, with support from UNICEF, 
WHO and USAID, has worked to ensure that the Armenian public 
and farmers are well informed without creating undue alarm. 
UNICEF has produced flyers and posters with public health and 
sanitation messages for local schools.  The Agriculture 
Ministry, with support from USAID, has developed a bilingual 
website (www.birdflu.am) with information on how to mitigate 
the risks of the disease and protect bird populations.  The 
National Program should be posted on this site in the coming 
days.  On March 30, the Agriculture Ministry and USAID also 
held a training session for 40 journalists on AI, so that 
their reporting could be more factual and less sensationalist 
than it has been in the past. 
GODFREY