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DE RUEHHI #0398/01 1180333
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 280333Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9575
INFO RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH 5810
RUEHZS/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE
RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 3533
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 6097
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 1758
RUEHGZ/AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU 0041
RUEHCN/AMCONSUL CHENGDU 0388
RUEHIN/AIT TAIPEI 1653
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHINGTON DC
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS 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//
RUEHSUN/USUN ROME IT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 HANOI 000398 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS, EAP/EP, INR, OES/STC, OES/IHA, MED, OGAC 
STATE PASS TO USAID FOR ASIA (MELLIS, DSHARMA, CJENNINGS) AND 
GH (GSTEELE, DCARROLL) 
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE FOR OSD/ISA/AP (STERN) 
HHS/OSSI/DSI PASS TO FIC/NIH (RGLASS) AND OGHA (JKULIKOWSKI/ 
/MABDOO/SCUMMINGS/DMILLER) 
CDC FOR COGH (SBLOUNT), CCID (SREDD) AND DIV-FLU(NCOX/AMOEN) 
USDA PASS TO APHIS, FAS (OSTA AND OCRA), FSIS 
BANGKOK FOR RMO, CDC (MMALISON), USAID (MACARTHUR/MBRADY/CBOWES), 
APHIS, REO (HHOWARD) 
BEIJING FOR HHS HEALTH ATTACHE (EYUAN) AND CDC (JMCFARLAND) 
PHNOM PENH FOR CDC INFLUENZA COORDINATOR(BBRADY) 
ROME FOR FAO 
VIENTIANE FOR CDC INFLUENZA COORDINATOR (ACORWIN) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TBIO AMED EAGR PINR KFLU VM
SUBJECT:  AMBASSADOR LOFTIS REVIEWS VIETNAMESE RESPONSE TO AVIAN 
INFLUENZA AND PLANS TO HOST 2010 MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE 
 
Ref: 08 Hanoi 599 (human vaccinations) 
 
HANOI 00000398  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
¶1. (U) Summary: In meetings with the Embassy avian influenza team, 
other donors, USAID implementing partners, and the Government of 
Vietnam (GVN), Ambassador Loftis discussed the GVN response to avian 
influenza, its successes, and how the response might be improved. 
Ambassador Loftis informed the GVN and international donors that the 
United States would provide financial and technical support for the 
2010 International Ministerial Conference on Avian and Pandemic 
Influenza (IMCAPI), which will likely be hosted by Vietnam.  The GVN 
welcomed U.S. support and soon expects to have final approval from 
the Prime Minister to host the event, which likely will occur in 
March or April 2010.  In every meeting, participants highlighted 
Vietnam's many successes, but noted the need to improve cooperation 
between human and animal health experts and the constant need to 
combat complacency among producers and consumers of poultry 
products.  During a visit to a view a new biosecurity model village 
in Hung Yen province, Ambassador Loftis witnessed successful 
USAID-supported programs to buttress efforts to improve hygiene and 
limit the spread of avian influenza.  End Summary. 
 
Donor Support for 2010 
Avian Influenza Ministerial in Vietnam 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) In his meeting United Nations Resident Representative John 
Hendra, European Community Ambassador Sean Doyle, and 
representatives of the United Nations System Influenza Coordination 
office (UNSIC), Ambassador Loftis reached consensus with his 
counterparts to support the 2010 International Ministerial 
Conference on Avian and Pandemic Influenza (IMCAPI) to be hosted by 
the Government of Vietnam (GVN).  Loftis confirmed that USAID would 
provide technical and financial support for the conference, which he 
suggested should focus on lessons from avian influenza response for 
pandemic planning, review of other human diseases of animal origin, 
and the opportunity for Vietnam and others to review their responses 
(vaccinations, culling or poultry market modifications) with other 
countries facing avian influenza outbreaks.  The UN and the EC 
reaffirmed their support for the Ministerial, which they hoped would 
take place in April 2010, after the peak avian influenza season and 
prior to the May 2010 World Health Assembly.  Ambassador Doyle noted 
his particular pleasure with Ambassador Loftis' desire for the 
Ministerial to look at the broader health dimensions of avian 
influenza. 
 
Donor Views of GVN Response 
--------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) The UN's Hendra noted that Vietnam had quickly mobilized in 
the face of early outbreaks in 2003 and 2004, but now needed to 
adopt a more sustainable, long-term plan.  EU Ambassador Doyle, 
stated that while he admired the response by animal and human health 
experts, the two relevant ministries, the Ministry of Agriculture 
and Rural Development (MARD) and the Ministry of Health (MOH), 
needed to better integrate their efforts.  Success in fighting avian 
influenza could boost the reputation of MOH, not currently seen as a 
 
HANOI 00000398  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
strong ministry, and assist overall public health reform.  Technical 
experts at the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN Food and 
Agricultural Organization (FAO) stressed solid cooperation with 
their GVN counterparts, but highlighted the need to change the 
behavior of those involved in the poultry sector, many of whom seem 
increasingly complacent due to the lack of large-scale outbreaks. 
While the GVN remains committed to its animal vaccination program, 
FAO and WHO want to work with the GVN to better identify the 
mechanisms through which the virus was spread through poultry and to 
develop poultry sector practices to limit that spread and limit 
exposure to humans. 
 
Ministry of Health 
------------------ 
 
¶4. (SBU) Dr. Nguyen Tran Hien, the Director General of the National 
Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE) within MOH, mirrored 
some of the comments from prominent donors and noted that Vietnam 
needed to improve collaboration between the animal and human health 
sectors.  At the same time, Vietnam had much to be proud of, 
including ongoing NIHE efforts to develop a human vaccine for H5N1 
avian influenza.  Using monkey kidney cells, Hien reported 
successful laboratory testing and promising results in the first 
phase of human trials (reftel).  (Note:  This effort, done in 
collaboration with VabioTech, a private spin-off of NIHE, is one of 
three in Vietnam working to develop a human vaccine against H5N1 
avian influenza.   The USG has invested in this effort and one other 
at the Institute of Vaccines and Medical Biological Substances in 
Nha Trang. End Note)  Dr. Nguyen Huy Nga, Director of the General 
Department of Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health, reviewed 
the GVN's extensive (and expensive) response to avian influenza and 
stressed Vietnam's commitment to sample sharing.  Looking forward, 
GVN pandemic preparedness would focus on strengthening national 
surveillance and reporting, improving diagnostics and treatment, 
upgrading behavior change communications, and supporting health 
systems at district levels. 
 
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) Vice Minister Vu Van Tam noted that the initial avian 
influenza outbreaks in 2003-04 cost Vietnam 0.5 percent of its GDP 
at that time.  Since that time, the central government has spent 
over USD 130 million (not including local government resources) to 
respond to the virus, but still faced many challenges, notably the 
difficulty in increasing the awareness of and changing behaviors in 
small-scale poultry farmers.  Though Tam stressed that animal 
vaccinations remained the GVN's most effective response, the GVN 
strategy called for reorganization of poultry farming and the 
poultry supply chain to improve veterinary hygiene and food safety 
from farm to fork.  The Vice Minister welcomed Ambassador Loftis' 
pledge of support for the 2010 IMCAPI and requested 
technical/logistical support, along with financial backing, for an 
event in March or April 2010.  MARD is preparing a request to host 
the Ministerial for submission to the Prime Minister.  Upon 
receiving approval (most likely in late May or early June), MARD 
 
HANOI 00000398  003.4 OF 003 
 
 
would work with the USG and other donors to draft the agenda.  Tam 
agreed that Vietnam should share its experiences with other donors 
and seemed receptive to Ambassador Loftis' requests that the 
Ministerial review broader pandemic preparedness and other human 
diseases of animal origin. 
 
Model Biosecurity Poultry Village 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (U) At Khoa Nhu village in nearby Hung Yen province, Ambassador 
Loftis joined the monthly village meeting to discuss common 
challenges to raising healthy poultry and prevent the spread of 
avian influenza.  With the assistance from USAID, and working 
collectively, the community has improved village hygiene, farmers' 
individual practices, and community-wide perceptions about the risks 
and prevention of avian influenza.  For instance, the community has 
worked together to clean up canals around the village and ensure 
that poultry waste is no longer dumped into this water source.  All 
households now bag poultry waste for weekly collection.  USAID is 
studying how to implement this successful model at poultry-raising 
villages around the country. 
 
¶7. (U) Ambassador Loftis did not have the opportunity to clear this 
cable prior to departing Vietnam. 
 
MICHALAK