VZCZCXRO4373
OO RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHDK #1042 1341401
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 141401Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY DAKAR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8298
INFO RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA PRIORITY
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHDC
RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0819
RUEHRN/USMISSION UN ROME

UNCLAS DAKAR 001042 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR INR/I, S/GAC, OES/IHA, AF/EPS AND AF/W 
STATE PLS PASS HHS AND NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TBIO KFLU PINR SG
SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT OF SENEGAL'S VIEWS ON SAMPLE SHARING AND VACCINE 
ACCESS (C-TN7-00406) 
 
REF: STATE 062185 (NOTAL) 
 
¶1.  (U) The following responses are keyed to the information 
requested in reftel: 
 
¶A.  The Government of Senegal (GOS) shares the samples collected 
with World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Organization for 
Animal Health (OIE) world reference labs and with some laboratories 
such as Pasteur Institute and the research group of the Department 
of Infectious Diseases at St. Jude Children's Hospital, Memphis, TN. 
 The GOS has a bank of virus samples stored that is accessible to 
the scientific community.  The GOS believes that sharing samples is 
win-win situation, and countries that share virus samples should be 
able to access vaccines at preferential pricing. 
 
¶B.  The GOS believes that developing countries are entitled to a 
tiered pricing mechanism to enable public access to vaccines. 
 
¶C.  Regional influenza vaccine production facility is not seen as a 
priority, as it needs highly qualified personnel and biosafe 
infrastructure that is lacking in West Africa.  The GOS oes not 
perceive a direct relationship between gowing the pandemic 
influenza vaccine supply and ncreasing the supply and demand of 
seasonal influenza vaccine.  The level f use of seasonal influenza 
vaccine is insignifiant in Senegal and is not considered as a 
threat  The GOS has purchased 2,500 doses of seasonal influenza 
vaccine and 2,500 doses of Tamiflu to protct technicians involved 
in the surveillance of aian influenza. 
 
¶D.  GOS officials follow and undrstand the influenza vaccine 
production process,and they explicitly recognize the difference 
betwen vaccine development and vaccine production.  Th Government 
acknowledges that vaccine development is necessary to test the 
efficacy of the vaccines, and thus that a small amount needs to be 
produced as a matter separate from large-scale vaccine production. 
 
¶E.  There is no pharmaceutical industry owned or partly owned by the 
government for human medications.  However, the GOS currently owns a 
veterinary vaccine production unit which it plans to privatize in 
the near future. 
 
¶F.  As a member of the WHO, the GOS participates in annual meetings 
organized by the WHO's Regional Office for Africa for Ministers of 
Health.  During these meetings, common positions can be taken and 
raised during the World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva. 
 
¶G.  As a WHO member, the GOS believes that all member countries 
should follow WHO directives and resolutions and should continue 
sharing virus samples as part of the global effort to fight pandemic 
influenza -- and let WHO negotiate with pharmaceutical companies for 
the access to the vaccines at affordable pricing. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
¶2.  (SBU) Our contacts in the GOS understand Indonesia's point of 
view, but believe that Indonesia should renegotiate directly with 
pharmaceutical manufacturing companies, rather than withholding 
virus samples from the WHO. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Senegal's delegation to the WHO meeting will be composed 
of Minister of Health and Medical Prevention Abdou Fall, the 
Director of Health and the Director of Medical Prevention.  Although 
Senegal does not often take an active role in WHA proceedings, the 
Minister of Health is a good speaker when well briefed, and he may 
take the floor.  If he raises this issue, our contacts expect he 
would support the WHO position.  END COMMENT. 
 
JACOBS