VZCZCXRO6201
PP RUEHDH
DE RUEHRH #0104/01 0241157
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 241157Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY RIYADH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2361
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA PRIORITY
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 RIYADH 000104 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARP, OES, AND OSTP 
DEPT PASS TO CDC FOR STEPHEN BLOUNT AND SCOTT MCNABB 
DEPT PASS TO NIH FOR JUDY LEVIN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON TBIO SENV PREL SA
SUBJECT: SAUDI DEPUTY HEALTH MINISTER CALLS FOR 
SCHOLARSHIPS, JOINT RESEARCH, AND TRAINING 
 
REF: A. RIYADH 1045 
     ¶B. RIYADH 1417 
 
¶1. (SBU) This is an action request.  See paragraphs three and 
six. 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) Deputy Minister of Health Ziad Memish told Econoffs 
that the Ministry's top two health cooperation priorities 
with the U.S. are to finalize an MOU with HHS and to increase 
significantly the number of scholarships with U.S. 
universities.  Minister of Health Al-Rabeeah is planning to 
visit Washington May 26 and would like to sign the HHS MOU at 
that time.  Memish outlined specific areas for collaboration 
under an MOU and said the MOH is very interested in 
cooperation with the NIH on child and maternal health.  He 
also elaborated on the Ministry's health sector reform plans, 
to include a significant modernization and expansion of 
facilities. 
 
Specific areas of cooperation for HHS MOU 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) Memish told Econoffs December 19 that Minister of 
Health Al-Rabeeah is planning a visit to Washington May 26 
and has asked to hold a formal signing ceremony with HHS 
Secretary Kathleen Sebelius during his visit.  Post requests 
NEA's assistance reaching out to HHS regarding the dates of 
the proposed signing and Ministerial visit. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Asked about specific areas of collaboration for an 
MOU with HHS, Memish said his Ministry was interested in 
continued exchanges of health experts and consultants, 
building on existing exchanges with CDC and NIH.  He also 
said his Ministry needs training assistance in the areas of 
malaria, TB, HIV, and sexually transmitted disease 
prevention.  Memish said the MOH would like the MOU to 
facilitate joint research in preventive medicine, 
specifically with NIH.  The Gulf Cooperation Council Health 
Ministers recently mandated its member countries to set up an 
occupational safety and health departments, and Saudi Arabia 
would like U.S. OSHA experts to advise them as they build the 
department "from scratch," he said.  The MOH is developing a 
scientific journal with Elsevier Publishing and will be 
reaching out to U.S. health experts and officials to sit on 
the advisory panel.  Memish noted the MOH has enough funding 
for projects and is only looking for U.S. expertise and 
guidance.  Memish was also interested in discussing 
possibilities of collaboration on research grants. 
 
Cooperation on child and maternal health 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) Asked about collaboration on maternal health and 
specifically newborn screening, Memish said the MOH was very 
interested in cooperation with the U.S. on child and maternal 
health.  He noted that the MOH had recently signed a contract 
for a 30 million SAR (8 million USD) per year program for 
newborn screening.  The program will collect samples from 140 
clinics in the Kingdom for analysis at King Faisal Specialist 
Hospital in Riyadh.  Asked about the 2011 MENA regional 
Newborn Screening Conference, Memish said Saudi Arabia would 
"be happy to host" the meeting.  Memish elaborated on the 
Kingdom's child and maternal initiatives, including a Royal 
Decree which mandates all engaged couples be tested for 
sickle cell anemia, thalassemia, HIV, Hepatitis B, and 
Hepatitis C before marriage.  The Kingdom has tested 750,000 
people to date, at an average of 250,000 people per year. 
This information is forwarded to the Ministry of Justice. 
 
Scholarship programs 
-------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) As Ambassador Smith discussed with Minister Rabeeah 
in October (ref B), the Saudis are very interested in 
increasing the number of Saudi students at U.S. institutions 
at all levels of healthcare.  Econcouns asked Memish to 
provide a list of the Ministry's top five priority training 
areas.  Post will circulate the list once received and 
requests HHS assistance in identifying universities and 
programs to address Saudi health priorities. 
 
Saudi health sector reform 
 
RIYADH 00000104  002 OF 002 
 
 
-------------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) Asked about Saudi Arabia's health sector reform, 
Memish said Minister Rabeeah submitted a health reform 
proposal to King Abdullah for consideration during Ramadan 
(September).  The reform plan proposes restructuring the MOH 
organization chart to include two vice ministers and four 
deputy ministers.  The MOH will also close small hospitals 
with less than 100 beds and open specialist centers in each 
region which will be connected to larger, 200 plus bed 
facilities and small primary care centers.  The restructuring 
will require a "tremendous" budget expansion, but the 
Minister has received verbal approval from King Abdullah and 
is confident their proposal will be supported, Memish said. 
The Ministry is in the processing of moving into brand new 
office space, which Econoffs noted was a significant 
improvement over the old Ministry buildings.  Memish noted 
partnerships with Harvard and Johns Hopkins Universities are 
intended to support the "big leap" the Saudis are taking to 
rapidly modernize their healthcare system.  The Minister is 
working to open a "mass gathering research center" (likely to 
focus on Hajj-related health issues) in Jeddah at King 
Abdullah Medical City by August 2010, before the 2010 Hajj. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) The MOH's proposals for health cooperation under an 
HHS MOU dovetail with President Obama's call for increased 
science, technology, and health cooperation, and would 
benefit greatly from the support of the region's new science 
envoy, Dr. Elias Zerhouni.  The USG should capitalize on this 
opportunity and expand cooperation in the areas Memish 
outlined.  Post recommends Envoy Zerhouni's visit to Saudi 
Arabia in February include a health component. 
SMITH