P 160420Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY APIA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0398
AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY BANGKOK PRIORITY 
AMCONSUL AUCKLAND PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY JAKARTA PRIORITY 
INFO AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY SUVA PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY PORT MORESBY PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY MAJURO PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY KOROR PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY KOLONIA PRIORITY 
AMCONSUL SYDNEY PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY APIA

UNCLAS APIA 000012 
 
 
DEPT PLEASE PASS TO EAP/ANP FRELICK AND ABRAMOWICZ 
BANGKOK PLEASE PASS TO REO AND AID/RDMA 
JAKARTA PLEASE PASS TO RMO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TBIO CASC AMED KFLU ASEC PGOV PINR WS
SUBJECT: SAMOA H1N1 CASES INCREASE, SAMOAN PRIME MINISTER POSSIBLE 
VICTIM 
 
¶1. SUMMARY: Samoa H1N1 cases escalate to 29 confirmed; Prime 
Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi among suspected cases. 
 
¶2. The Samoa Ministry of Health confirmed thirteen additional 
individuals to have tested positive in Samoa for the H1N1 
influenza to bring the tally of confirmed positive cases to 
twenty nine. 
 
¶3. The latest confirmations come after the Ministry received 
this week test results sent to New Zealand after 38 students of 
a high school on the island of Savai'i were tested and 
quarantined. The high school students were tested after clusters 
of students with symptoms of the H1N1 checked into local 
hospitals a week after hosting students and visitors from New 
Zealand and Australia. 
 
¶4. The Samoa Ministry of Health (MOH) stated in a press release 
that the new confirmed cases show an increasing pattern of local 
transmissions, contrasting the previous tally had contracted the 
virus overseas, the new thirteen confirmations (in one week) 
show none had traveled overseas but contracted the virus locally. 
 
¶5. MOH has stepped up combat against the influenza from 
prevention phase moving also into a containment of spread phase. 
All twenty nine cases have been quarantined in their respective 
homes with Public Health personnel conducting family visits 
twice a day. With the rise in cases so has pressure on MOH staff 
in tracking each person with whom the confirmed cases have came 
into contact. 
 
¶6. Currently there is a stock of 1,750 courses of years-old 
tamiflu in country with the National Hospital Pharmacy (not 
including private stocks at private pharmacies and hospitals), 
stock left (unused) from the Bird Flu pandemic preparedness 
program. GOS has another USD 370,000 in emergency preparedness 
funds which have been earmarked to purchase more supplies of the 
anti-viral drug. There has also been a commitment from the South 
Pacific Forum, and from the World Health Organization for 
supplies and talks of People's Republic of China; however as of 
date no fresh tamiflu drugs have arrived in country, and no time 
has been set for the promised aid to arrive. During New Zealand 
PM John Key visit to Samoa July 7-8, NZ pledged assistance but 
did not detail the ways or value of support in the event the 
pandemic further escalates.  GOS is heavily subsidizing dosages 
sold at the National Hospital Pharmacy to confirmed cases with 
special prescription at USD $3.80 per course of 10 tablets (and 
promising free treatment for unemployed). Private pharmacies are 
reported to be selling courses at USD $74 per course of 10 
tablets. 
 
¶7. On July 15, local media reported that a swab taken from the 
Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaepa Lupesoliai Sailele Malielegaoi 
was sent to Wellington, NZ for tests on H1N1 after the PM has 
been under the weather over the past week. His tests results are 
expected to be returned early next week.  The paper noted his 
high risk category being someone who has frequent contact with 
foreign travelers. 
 
¶8. Although no case of H1N1 has been confirmed among 20 Embassy 
staffers or their family members, prevention vigil stays strong 
with constant notices and reminders on proper sanitation 
procedures. The Embassy has a stock of 60 courses of tamiflu in 
stock in the event of an outbreak. 
 
 
¶9. COMMENTS: As Samoa enters a peak travel and tourism season, 
with the majority of its tourists from New Zealand and 
Australia, the fight to control the pandemic does not get any 
easier for Samoa and its officials. Furthermore thousands of 
Samoans from all over the world belonging to the second biggest 
Christian denomination in the country have gathered for the 
annual pilgrimage amidst MOH unheeded suggestions to postpone 
until after the scare of H1N1 has died down.  With Fiji and 
Tonga now reporting cases, every place with an air connection to 
Samoa (U.S. mainland, American Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, Australia, 
and New Zealand) have reported cases, making the further spread 
of the disease, and of any variations, likely. 
 
As the numbers escalate and the limited tamiflu expires or is 
used up, Samoa will be in dire need of assistance especially in 
the form of tamiflu and screening materials. Samoa's traditional 
development partners, Australia and New Zealand, have remained 
vague on any assistance for Samoa as each currently struggles to 
handle more per capita cases, including flu-related deaths, than 
has so far happened in Samoa. 
 
 
YEAGER