VZCZCXRO9691
PP RUEHAST RUEHDBU RUEHDH RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB RUEHPOD RUEHSK
RUEHTM RUEHTRO RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHMO #1181/01 1281216
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 081216Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3196
INFO RUEHVK/AMCONSUL VLADIVOSTOK 3233
RUEHYG/AMCONSUL YEKATERINBURG 3588
RUEHLN/AMCONSUL ST PETERSBURG 5353
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEHXD/MOSCOW POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 MOSCOW 001181 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/RUS, EUR/PGI, OES/PCI, OES/IHB, OES/FO - N. 
Carter-Foste 
USAID FOR GH, E&E 
HHS FOR OGHA 
PASS TO NIH AND FDA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TBIO PREL EAID SOCI KHIV TSPL EAID KCRM PTER KFLU
RS 
SUBJECT: RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT INTEREST IN EXPANDING HEALTH POLICY 
COOPERATION 
 
MOSCOW 00001181  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED -- PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY. 
 
¶1. (U) This is an action cable.  Please see paragraph 13. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) SUMMARY: In a welcome development, Russian health 
officials are expressing much more interest in cooperating with the 
United States on a wide range of health issues, including infectious 
and chronic disease control and prevention, vaccinations, and 
addressing public health threats in developing countries.  At 
meetings on April 21 and 22 with representatives of the U.S. 
Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), officials from the 
Ministry of Health and Social Development and from Russia's public 
health service Rospotrebnadzor indicated that the July presidential 
summit would be an excellent opportunity to advance a joint health 
agenda, possibly through a non-binding memorandum of understanding. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
INFECTIOUS DISEASE CONTROL AND VACCINATIONS 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) On April 21, Mary Lisa Madell, Director for Europe and 
Eurasia at DHHS's Office of Global Health Affairs; Dr. David Bull, 
Coordinator of the Biosecurity Engagement Program, Global Disease 
Detection and Emergency Response at the Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention (CDC); and the Embassy's Health Officer and Health 
Specialist met with officials from Russia's Federal Service for 
Consumer Rights Protection and Human Welfare (Rospotrebnadzor), 
including Dr. Galina Lazikova, Deputy Head of the Department of 
Epidemiological Surveillance, Dr. Alexander Kucherenko, Head of the 
Division of International Cooperation, and Vyacheslav Smolenskiy, 
Deputy Head of the Department of Science and International 
Cooperation.  Rospotrebnadzor specializes in infectious disease 
surveillance, prevention and control. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Both sides agreed that current bilateral cooperation, 
including in HIV/AIDS, forms an excellent basis for future 
collaboration.  Dr. Lazikova also expressed interest in U.S. 
experience with measles, tuberculosis (especially multidrug 
resistant TB), hepatitis B (HBV), and national vaccination 
schedules.  Dr. Lazikova explained that measles is now extremely 
rare in Russia, with only 27 cases reported in 2008.  Russian 
researchers identified five serotypes in the country in 2008. 
Lazikova noted that Russia is in the process of applying to WHO for 
certification as a measles-free country, adding that Rospotrebnadzor 
would like to learn about U.S. experience with measles elimination, 
particularly as both countries face the issue of measles cases 
"imported" through immigration. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Dr. Lazikova said Rospotrebnadzor is also interested in 
learning about U.S. experience with vaccinations, particularly for 
hepatitis B.  Russian scientists favor a vaccine based on locally 
circulating strains, as they are observing reduced vaccination 
efficacy and the appearance of mutant strains.  Dr. Lazikova 
expressed interest in U.S. experience with vaccinations that are not 
included in the Russian national immunization schedule, primarily 
HiB, and varivax, including results and any adverse side-effects. 
Smolenskiy suggested possible U.S.-Russian cooperation in developing 
countries, but didn't specify in which areas. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Smolenskiy said that cooperation could proceed bilaterally 
under a framework akin to the Gore-Chernomyrdin Commission and 
multilaterally within the G8.  Kucherenko recalled that 
Rospotrebnadzor head Gennadiy Onishchenko had discussed a possible 
memorandum of understanding with CDC when he visited CDC 
headquarters in Atlanta in 2008.  Smolenskiy said that the July 2009 
meeting of the U.S. and Russian presidents presents an opportunity 
to advance bilateral collaboration in public health, and that 
Rospotrebnadzor is ready to consider U.S. proposals in this vein. 
 
COOPERATION WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) Dr. Bull described increased interest in the United States 
following the anthrax attacks in promoting cooperation between 
public health and law enforcement entities, particularly cooperation 
 
MOSCOW 00001181  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
in epidemiological and criminal investigations.  New U.S. 
legislation, the Pandemic and All Hazards Act of 2006, further 
spurred joint exercises and plans for joint responses to natural or 
man-made disasters.  Dr. Lazikova shared examples from the Russian 
side, including the high-level group established to monitor highly 
pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza and the upgrading of response 
capability of the sanitary anti-epidemic teams. 
 
HEALTHY LIFESTYLES AND TRAFFIC SAFETY 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) On April 22, Mary Lisa Madell and Embassy's Health 
Specialist met with representatives from the Ministry of Health and 
Social Development (MOHSD) led by Ivan Dubov, Director of the 
Department of International Cooperation.  Dubov was joined by Galina 
Alekseyeva, Deputy Director of the Department of Organization and 
Development of Health Care; Sergey Korablev, Head of the Office of 
Product Safety, Consumer Protection and Technical Regulation in the 
Department of Health Protection and Sanitary-Epidemiological 
Welfare; Igor Titov, Deputy Head of the Office of Special Programs 
in the Department of Health Protection; Elena Talanova in the 
Department of International Cooperation; and Aleksandr Denisov, 
Chief of Protocol. 
 
¶9. (SBU) The MOHSD representatives identified three areas as the 
most promising for increased cooperation with the United States: 
control of infectious diseases, promotion of healthy lifestyles, and 
medical assistance to victims of traffic accidents.  (Note:  Because 
MOHSD gives Rospotrebnadzor a large degree of autonomy on infectious 
diseases, the discussion with MOHSD focused chiefly on the latter 
two issues.  End Note.)  Dubov and the others stated that MOHSD's 
two priorities related to healthy lifestyles remain reducing alcohol 
abuse and curbing smoking.  Russia has introduced a national program 
to improve response to traffic accident victims, and the MOHSD 
representatives expressed eagerness to learn about U.S. experience. 
(Note:  On November 19-20, 2009 the Russian Federation will host and 
co-chair with the World Health Organization the first Global 
Ministerial Conference on Road Safety, requested by UNGA in 2008 to 
implement 2004 UNGA Resolution 58/289 
(http://www.who.int/roadsafety/events/2009/19 _10_09/ en/index.html) 
End Note.) 
 
¶10. (SBU) MOHSD echoed Rospotrebnadzor statements on U.S.-Russian 
cooperation in both bilateral and multilateral frameworks and 
expressed hope for enhanced cooperation.  Both sides agreed to try 
to arrange a meeting between the U.S. and Russian delegations to the 
upcoming World Health Assembly meeting in Geneva on May 18-27. 
(Note: Deputy Minister of Health Veronika Skvortsova will head the 
Russian delegation to the WHA meeting.  End Note) 
 
¶11. (SBU) Dubov suggested that a framework for cooperation such as a 
non-binding memorandum of understanding (MOU) or intent (MOI) 
between MOHSD and DHHS could identify priority areas and means of 
cooperation.  In addition to encompassing ongoing collaboration in 
HIV/AIDS, TB and other areas, Dubov declared that such a framework 
could expand and promote contacts between Russian and U.S. experts 
at scientific meetings.  (Note:  In 2004, Russia and the United 
States orally agreed not to extend the 1994 Agreement between the 
United States of America and the Government of the Russian 
Federation on Cooperation in the Fields of Public Health and 
Biomedical Research signed by Secretary of State Christopher and 
Minister of Foreign Affairs Kozyrev because such cooperation could 
be carried out under the bilateral science and technology agreement. 
 Embassy Moscow supports concluding a new, separate health 
agreement, but suggests that the new agreement be drafted in such a 
way as to allow cooperation with DHHS agencies such as the Centers 
for Disease Control, the National Institutes of Health and the Food 
and Drug Administration, as well as non-DHHS agencies such as the 
Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International 
Development.  End Note) 
 
¶12.  (SBU) Madell informed the MOHSD representatives that 
discussions on improving public health collaboration with Russia 
were underway within DHHS.  She agreed to advise the relevant DHHS 
bodies -- including CDC, NIH, and FDA -- of MOHSD's priorities and 
 
MOSCOW 00001181  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
to develop specific areas of technical collaboration to include in a 
potential MOU.  (Note: During follow-up discussions, MOHSD contacts 
indicated that if a bilateral health working group were formed, the 
Russian side would most likely be led by Deputy Health Minister 
Skvortsova, rather than Minister Golikova.  End Note) 
 
¶13. (SBU) Comment and Action Request:  The markedly more cooperative 
spirit of both meetings, and in particular with MOHSD, contrasted 
sharply with the Embassy's meetings in the fall when MOHSD 
interlocutors bluntly informed Emboffs that although the United 
States was the number one partner with which they wanted to 
collaborate, they could not discuss expanding cooperation until they 
received a political "green light."  The Russian side was well 
prepared for both meetings and expectant to hear the U.S. response 
to their priorities in coming weeks.  We recommend that the 
Department and interagency respond positively to these requests for 
expanded cooperation. 
 
¶14.  (U) This cable was based on notes drafted by HHS Mary Lisa 
Madell and was cleared by her. 
 
RUBIN