P 311708Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY NOUAKCHOTT
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8474
INFO MAGHREB COLLECTIVE
ECOWAS COLLECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L NOUAKCHOTT 000364 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/31/2019 
TAGS: AEMR ASEC AMED CASC KFLO MARR PREL PINR AMGT
KFLU, TF, MR 
SUBJECT: TFFLU01: MAURITANIA NOT PREPARED FOR H1N1 INFLUENZA 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Mark Boulware for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: Although there have been no reported cases 
of H1N1 influenza in Mauritania, authorities are not prepared 
for an outbreak should one occur.  The Government of the 
Islamic Republic of Mauritania (GIRM) had no Tamiflu on hand 
until the World Health Organization recently provided it with 
4000 doses.  This stockpile is still far short of the 10,000 
to 15,000 doses that it should have in stock.  The GIRM needs 
to do much more to increase surveillance, public awareness, 
and training for health professionals.  While the GIRM does 
have a plan to address avian flu that could be modified and 
implemented to address H1N1 flu, it has not done so due to a 
lack of funding.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (U) Mauritania is not prepared for an H1N1 influenza 
outbreak.  The government had no Tamiflu on hand until it 
recently obtained 4000 doses from the World Health 
Organization (WHO).  Nevertheless, its recently acquired 
stock is well below the estimated 10,000 to 15,000 doses that 
experts believe it should have on hand.  In addition, 
Mauritania does not have any laboratories capable of testing 
for the H1N1 influenza virus.  If there was a suspected case, 
samples would have to be sent to Dakar or Algiers for 
testing, delaying verification of potential cases of H1N1 flu. 
 
¶3. (SBU) EconOff met with Dr. Yacoub Ould Ahmedou, an 
infectious disease expert with the World Health Organization 
(WHO).  Ahmedou said that one of the most significant 
problems in Mauritania is a lack of information and public 
awareness.  Many, including trained health professionals, 
incorrectly believe that Mauritania is protected from an H1N1 
influenza outbreak because it is a Muslim country and 
accordingly Mauritanians are not allowed to keep pigs.  In 
addition, if there were an influenza outbreak, it would be 
difficult to contain quickly because the general population 
lacks information about flu symptoms and what to do if they 
suspect someone of being infected. 
 
¶4. (SBU) The WHO is working closely with Mauritanian 
authorities to try to help them prepare for an influenza 
outbreak.  However, Ahmedou was critical of the regime's 
actions to date.  He said that Mauritanian authorities have 
been doing what they can do for free but have not done 
anything yet that requires financing.  For example, the 
Ministry of Health has been airing public awareness 
announcements on state-run radio and television, which it can 
do at almost no cost.  However, Ahmedou said that what the 
government really needs to do is to equip, train and 
follow-up with health professionals, which it has not done. 
In addition, it has not taken any measures to increase 
surveillance to monitor any potential outbreaks.  He also 
stated that one or two hospitals need to be identified and 
prepared to treat patients who do contract the H1N1 influenza 
virus in order to isolate the virus and not spread it to 
other people. 
 
¶5. (SBU) According to Ahmedou, the biggest problem is a lack 
of financial resources.  Mauritania developed a comprehensive 
plan to address avian influenza several years ago.  Ahmedou 
said that it needs to be looked at again, amended if 
necessary to address H1N1 influenza, and then implemented. 
However, there is no financing available to implement it. 
The Ministry of Health did not set aside any money in its 
annual budget to address influenza or other pandemic 
diseases.  Mauritanian authorities have not been able to 
provide additional funds to the Ministry of Health for this 
purpose.  Ahmedou concluded that it comes down to making a 
political decision to devote financial resources to be able 
to prepare Mauritania for an influenza outbreak. 
 
¶6. (C) Ahmedou was critical of how Mauritanian health 
officials were prioritizing spending relating to H1N1 
influenza.  He said that most placed the acquisition of an 
infrared thermal scanner for the airport as the top priority. 
 While the authorities could get a lot of publicity by 
acquiring a scanner, Ahmedou said that it would not be the 
best use of resources.  He explained that most people enter 
Mauritania at land borders and the same amount of money would 
be much better spent training health professionals.  Unable 
to actually obtain the funds to purchase a thermal scanner, 
authorities are now using a temple thermometer on all 
arriving passengers at Nouakchott Airport, but its 
effectiveness in preventing the spread of H1N1 influenza is 
limited. 
 
¶7. (C) Comment: While Mauritania has so far been spared from 
an outbreak of H1N1 influenza, it is not prepared should one 
occur.  Given that Mauritania has an extremely poor and 
underdeveloped healthcare system and does not have the 
financial resources to prepare for an outbreak of H1N1 
influenza, authorities would have difficulty responding to 
any suspected or identified cases.  For the time being, 
authorities continue to rely on Mauritania's relative 
isolation and hope that it alone will be sufficient to 
protect the country from an outbreak.  While a relatively 
small amount of money could go a long way in preparing the 
country for an influenza outbreak, the fact that authorities 
have not devoted any resources to doing so is yet another 
indication of the very tenuous state of the regime's 
finances.  End comment. 
 
 
BOULWARE