VZCZCXRO7224
RR RUEHDE RUEHDIR
DE RUEHKU #1197/01 3510830
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 160830Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2464
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 1975
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD 1335
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 1134
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 0392
RUEHYN/AMEMBASSY SANAA 0582
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1249
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHDC
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHDC
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 001197 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR G/AIAG (WINN), OES/IHB, M/MED, NEA/RA (ARVIS); 
STATE PASS FOR USAID FOR GLOBAL HEALTH; USDA FOR APHIS; 
GENEVA FOR WHO REPRESENTATIVE; ROME FOR FAO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TBIO KFLU KU
SUBJECT: KUWAIT: PUBLIC HEALTH CHALLENGES AND PANDEMIC 
PREPAREDNESS 
 
REF: SECSTATE 67936 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: Kuwait's top infectious diseases official 
has expressed concern about the possible effects of the 
current financial crisis on GOK preventative health care 
programs and the impact of GOK instability on health care 
delivery.  During a meeting with the regional ESTH hub 
officer, he also discussed the GOK's pandemic influenza 
preparedness planning.  End summary. 
 
 
FINANCIAL AND POLITICAL CRISES -- HEALTH CARE DELIVERY 
AFFECTED? 
 
 
¶2. (SBU) During a meeting with the Department's regional ESTH 
hub officer on November 18, Dr. Musab al-Saleh, Director of 
the Disease Control Unit at the Kuwaiti Ministry of Health 
(MOH), noted that 75% of all health services in Kuwait are 
provided by the GOK.  Although the MOH's budget increased 
from KD 300 million in 2004 to KD 900 million in 2008 (mostly 
for therapeutical care), the global economic malaise is now 
impacting the MOH.  Planned construction of the new Jaber 
hospital has been put on hold.  Preventative health care 
programs, which often take a back-seat, are having further 
difficulty getting traction.  For example: 
-- New preventative vaccine introductions such as the rota 
virus vaccine and the cervical cancer vaccine have been put 
on hold; 
-- A national campaign for measles vaccinations for 1-7 year 
old children based on World Health Organization (WHO) 
guidelines is being scrutinized.  This KD 300,000 campaign 
would typically have been approved by the MOH.  However, now 
the Kuwaiti Council of Ministers' approval requires an audit 
of the proposed initiative. 
 
¶3. (SBU) In addition to the financial crisis, al-Saleh said 
that ongoing tensions between the executive and legislative 
branches detract from MOH progress.  There have been three 
governments in the past three years, including seven 
different Ministers of Health (with an average tenure of less 
than six months).  This turmoil affects project approval and 
implementation.  Al-Saleh noted that Parliament has also 
witnessed high-profile discord regarding GOK health services 
delivery: Ministers of Health are often the target of 
attempted "grillings," a process that led to the resignation 
of the first female Kuwaiti Minister in late 2007. 
 
 
GOK PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS 
 
 
¶4. (SBU) There have been no reported cases of avian influenza 
in Kuwait since early 2006.  After that limited outbreak, the 
GOK purchased Tamiflu stocks for one million people (note: 
Kuwait's population comprises approximately one million 
citizens and two million expatriate workers).  Given 
Tamiflu's five-year shelf-life, the MOH will soon need to 
decide if further stocks are to be purchased; the cost would 
be approximately KD 4.5 million.  Al-Saleh noted that this 
decision -- which needs to be made by 2010 -- might be 
impacted by the current financial crisis. 
 
¶5. (SBU) The MOH has started delivering 100,000 annual 
influenza immunizations for higher risk population segments, 
and mandates immunizations for all pilgrims participating in 
the Hajj in Saudi Arabia.  The are two infectious disease 
committees in Kuwait: 
-- A technical executive committee comprising director-level 
representatives from the MOH, the Public Authority for 
Agricultural Affairs and Fishery Resources, the Ministry of 
the Interior, the Customs Authority and the Kuwait City 
municipality. 
-- A ministerial committee headed by the Minister of Health. 
 
¶6. (SBU) A national pandemic preparedness plan is in place 
with several sub-plans covering prevention, detection, 
laboratory testing, emergency care and longer term hospital 
 
KUWAIT 00001197  002 OF 002 
 
 
care.  In the event of a pandemic, the MOH projects the need 
for 400 additional intensive care beds and 3,000 additional 
hospital beds (including setting up field hospitals in 
tents).  The last national pandemic preparedness plan review 
was conducted in 2007 and the MOH expects to undertake 
another such formal review in 2009.  During October, a 
three-person WHO team spent one week in Kuwait reviewing the 
GOK's current pandemic preparedness plan and will provide 
recommendations shortly, according to al-Saleh. 
 
¶6. (SBU) The MOH also engages in regional cooperation on 
pandemic preparedness through the GCC.  A GCC committee meets 
every six months to review and discuss GCC-wide pandemic 
preparedness planning.  Al-Saleh said that the GCC is 
considering a Glaxo Smith-Kline (GSK) proposal presented in 
October for the pre-purchase of a possible new H5N1 vaccine. 
The Government of Oman is currently representing the GCC in 
these discussions with GSK.  A recent GCC recommendation 
called for the stockpiling of 10,000 Tamiflu doses for the 
first GCC country affected by a pandemic.  Al-Saleh said that 
this stock would likely target Yemen, given that country's 
limited resources for pandemic preparedness planning. 
 
¶7. (U) Note: Embassy Kuwait recently convened a meeting of 
the pandemic flu working group, comprising relevant Post 
personnel and four medical officers from U.S. military 
elements in Kuwait.  Participants reviewed the Department's 
updated guidance on pandemic preparedness (reftel) and agreed 
to meet quarterly.  Post is in the process of reviewing the 
actions items outlined in reftel.  End note. 
 
********************************************* * 
For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/?cable s 
 
Visit Kuwait's Classified Website: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/ 
********************************************* * 
JONES