Cablegate: Avian Influenza and the Government of Vietnam -
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 06 HANOI 003038
SIPDIS
FOR USAID/RDM-A/BANGKOK PRIORITY
STATE FOR G; CA/OCS/ACS/EAP; EAP/EX; EAP/MLS; EAP/EP; INR;
OES/STC (PBATES); OES/IHA (DSINGER AND NCOMELLA)
BANGKOK FOR RMO, CDC, USAID/RDM/A (MFRIEDMAN)
USDA FOR FAS/PASS TO APHIS
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE FOR OSD/ISA/AP (LSTERN)
USAID FOR ANE AND GH (DCARROLL, SCLEMENTS AND PCHAPLIN)
STATE PASS USTR (ELENA BRYAN)
STATE ALSO PASS HHS/OGHA (EELVANDER)
ROME FOR FAO
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AMED AMGT CASC EAGR PINR SOCI PGOV TBIO VM AFLU
SUBJECT: AVIAN INFLUENZA AND THE GOVERNMENT OF VIETNAM -
READY OR NOT...
REF: A) HANOI 2762, B) HANOI 2858, C) HANOI 3009
1. (U) Summary. This cable examines the Government of
Vietnam's (GVN) overall strategy toward Avian Influenza (AI)
and recent actions taken by GVN to plan for and respond to a
potential AI pandemic in Vietnam. The GVN has developed a
broad, multi-agency approach following the advice of the
World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Food
and Agriculture Organization (FAO), which includes
conducting an aggressive nationwide poultry vaccination
campaign; attempting to negotiate an agreement with Roche to
produce Tamiflu in-country; ordering the state-run media to
meet the public's demand for information and news on AI; and
creating a national emergency action plan for AI. While the
international donor community has generously funded short-
term interventions to support GVN's AI preparedness and
prevention programs, foreign experts estimate that GVN will
require at least USD 120 million of additional donor
assistance as well as substantial recurrent costs for medium
and long-term AI support for vaccinations; early warning;
capacity building; long-term planning; and awareness raising
and public information campaigns.
2. (SBU) The leadership of Vietnam clearly recognizes
that Vietnam may be prove to be ground zero for an H5N1
pandemic. While Vietnam is beginning to roll out and
implement an emergency plan to respond to an influenza
pandemic, like most countries, this poor, underdeveloped
country is far from ready to sustain a direct hit.
Development of strong and sustainable programs to build
capacity on both the animal and human health side is an
urgent need. Further, support for testing and implementing
a useable pandemic influenza preparedness plan is also
critical. End Summary.
WHAT IS SUCCESS?
----------------
3. (U) The start of the 2005-2006 influenza season in
Vietnam is a suitable occasion to ask: Is the GVN adequately
prepared for an Avian Influenza (AI) epidemic and what steps
can be taken in Vietnam to bolster national and
international efforts to detect, contain and limit the
potential spread of the H5N1 virus? This cable highlights
some of the strengths and weaknesses of the GVN's overall
strategy toward AI, including an analysis of Vietnam's draft
National Emergency Plan for AI and Human Flu Pandemic
(herein EAP), and recent actions taken by GVN to plan for
and respond to a potential AI pandemic.
4. (SBU) But what is success? What are the stop-gap
measures that might contain an outbreak? The H5N1 virus is
now firmly entrenched in poultry in large parts of Asia.
Computer modeling in Thailand, however, suggests the
possibility, with immediate early aggressive coordinated
international intervention, of stopping the further spread
of a potential pandemic strain, which is analogous to
quenching a small fire with forest-fire potential. Once
human-to-human transmission reaches a major metropolitan
area, however, the past history of influenza pandemics
indicates that the spread of the disease throughout the
world can be expected to occur relatively quickly, perhaps
in as little as a few weeks. Most health authorities doubt
that once a pandemic is underway, it can be stopped, bur
rather only mitigated or limited. Hence, the best way to
prevent a pandemic would be to eliminate the virus from
birds and, if so possible, to ensure that any human-to-human
outbreak is contained before the virus reaches densely
populated urban areas that serve as nodes of international
commerce and transportation.
STRONG POLITICAL WILL TO MOBILIZE THE COUNTRY AND COMBAT AI
--------------------------------------------- --------------
5. (SBU) Over the past three months, the authorities in
Vietnam have demonstrated an increasing level of
seriousness, commitment and action to prevent and, if
necessary, control an AI epidemic. As reported (ref A),
responsibility for AI has risen to the Office of the Prime
Minister and the chain of command has been streamlined.
This heightened concern follows more than a year of line-
agency efforts but little success in implementing an
integrated, inter-agency AI campaign as advised by WHO, FAO
and other concerned parties who were advising the GVN to
take more aggressive action.
6. (SBU) The Vietnamese Communist Party apparatus, which is
often characterized by single-minded agendas and sluggish
response to international trends, has begun to mobilize "all
government resources and the people" to combat the threat of
AI. In October, the Party Central Committee called in
senior Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD)
officials and later issued a directive instructing lower
level administrative units to implement AI prevention
measures. This is important as mobilization at the local
level requires political pressure through the party organs.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister has tasked the Ministry of
Culture and Information to focus the government-controlled
mass media and public information systems on AI awareness
raising and to provide the public with timely information on
AI outbreaks, illnesses and deaths.
7. (U) Following the advice of WHO and FAO, the GVN has
developed a broad, multi-agency approach with a focus on
immediate short-term measures. This includes conducting an
aggressive nationwide poultry vaccination campaign;
attempting to negotiate a landmark agreement with Roche to
produce Tamiflu in-country; ordering the state-run media to
meet the public's demand for information and news on AI; and
drafting a national emergency action plan for AI.
AGGRESSIVE POULTRY VACCINATIONS - THE FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE
--------------------------------------------- --------------
8. (SBU) In the Mission's discussions both within and
outside the Government, the consensus is that the H5N1 virus
could be virtually eliminated from domestic poultry
populations in Vietnam. Despite the preponderance of small,
backyard operations with a mixing of poultry species and
frequent human contact, a comprehensive poultry vaccination
program that is sufficiently funded could work. In
countries with similar poultry production systems to
Vietnam, such as China, such vaccination programs appear to
have been effective in outbreak areas.
9. (SBU) However, Vietnam would need a sustained
vaccination program that reaches enough of the poultry
population, particularly asymptomatic ducks, for the virus
to die out in the general poultry population. The threshold
could be as low as 70 percent of the population vaccinated.
The GVN's announced target is 85 percent. At the same
time, GVN would need to establish a system to identify and
stop isolated cases from spreading as the vaccination
program winds down. Therefore, farmers need to be
encouraged to implement biosecurity measures such as
decontamination of their poultry areas, not to mix domestic
poultry species and to keep ducks from ranging freely.
These biosecurity measures would minimize new outbreaks and
make effective response much easier.
10. (U) Continued technical assistance from outside experts
would be helpful in strengthening Vietnam's AI control
program. However, lack of long-term funding, especially for
the recurrent and potential compensation costs, appears to
be a more serious need. The GVN requires funding to support
the cost of vaccination workers, equipment and supplies and
to compensate farmers when culling of poultry is required.
Traditionally, these costs have fallen to the GVN rather
than supported by the donors.
11. (SBU) As reported previously (ref C), the first phase
of MARD's nationwide poultry vaccination campaign targeting
high-risk bird populations has been completed in 50 of 64
provinces in Vietnam. Meanwhile, the GVN has temporarily
banned all imports of live poultry, ornamental birds and
their unprocessed (uncooked) products. (NOTE: We are
attempting to persuade GVN that there is no scientific basis
or human health benefits to ban poultry products from
sources without an H5N1 virus problem, such as in the United
States).
MINISTRY OF PUBLIC HEALTH - STRENGTHING THE WEAKEST LINK
--------------------------------------------- -----------
12. (U) Although still modest, the GVN has taken pro-active
measures for early detection of AI in humans at provincial
and district-levels, effectively shortening the previous
amount of time taken to detect and respond to an AI
outbreak, or reputed outbreak, in rural areas of Vietnam.
Recently, the Ministry of Health (MOH) released an action
plan to address a pandemic, which ordered hospitals to begin
preparing for the possibility of admitting AI victims and to
set up temporary hospitals, if needed. The press has also
announced that the MOH will work with the military and
police forces to contain an AI outbreak (ref C). Most
importantly, the MOH has been more forthcoming in recent
months in sharing information on possible AI-related human
deaths and illnesses to the WHO and international community.
This is a marked change from the more guarded attitude
regarding prompt reporting of incidents a year ago.
13. (U) The GVN's enhanced, quick response capability on
the animal side was demonstrated the week of November 7 in
Bac Giang Province in northern Vietnam, where "drastic
measures" where taken to contain AI outbreak in three
communes. According to "Tuoi Tre News," immediately after
the discovery of AI in the poultry population, the province
instructed local authorities to incinerate all poultry in
the six infected villages and waterfowl in three communes,
carry out strict hygiene and decontamination measures,
strictly ban the sale of poultry throughout the province,
and vaccinate all poultry. Tuoi Tre also reported that the
Chairman of Bac Giang's People Committee ordered strict
monitoring of 200 people in the infected areas who are
currently sick (symptoms unknown), and to quarantine those
who begin to show signs of fever. (Note: Secondary sources
indicate that some of the chickens that died were vaccinated
about 10 days before the incident.)
14. (SBU) Despite these positive measures, the GVN - and
the MOH in particular - suffer from institutional challenges
associated with non-decentralized, linear governance
systems. We believe the GVN will face significant
challenges in its efforts to form multi-agency task forces
and on-the-ground mobile response teams comprised of animal
health, public health and market police units.
TAMIFLU FOR VIETNAM?
--------------------
15. (U) The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has
reported that Vietnam will become the first country to
produce Tamiflu under a license agreement with Roche and
that production in Vietnam would begin in two months.
Nevertheless, a recent discussion between Minister of Health
Tran Thi Chung Chien and the Ambassador (ref D) made clear
that so far Roche has not agreed to license Vietnam to
produce Tamiflu. MOH sources confirm that the GVN has not
received permission. According to a recent New York Times
article, Roche has entered negotiations with roughly eight
of the 50 or so countries interested in negotiating a
licensing agreement. Roche reportedly confirmed that it was
in talks with Vietnam to provide the finished active
ingredients for Tamiflu. (Note: Roche relies on a
relatively rare Chinese spice, star anise, to make about two-
thirds of the rare shikimic acid. Star anise happens to be
the special ingredient used in Hanoi's most famous dish,
"pho bo" or beef noodle soup.)
16. (SBU) The Vietnam Pharmaceuticals Administration
Department Director Cao Minh Quan estimates Vietnam needs to
stockpile 25 million does of Tamiflu in the event an AI
pandemic (reftel Hanoi B). The WHO has pledged to
immediately provide 3 million Tamiflu capsules (or 300,000
courses of 10 tablets) if an AI epidemic occurs in Vietnam
and, the press has also reported that Taiwan has donated
600,000 capsules. According to the BBC report, Roche also
agreed to sell Vietnam 25 million capsules, enough to treat
2.5 million people. The report further states that Vietnam
will ultimately have the capacity to produce up to 20
million Tamiflu capsules a year, which could also be sold to
other countries in the region.
17. (SBU) Dr. Hans Troedsson, Chief Representative of the
WHO in Vietnam, believes that a more pressing concern for
GVN is how to distribute Tamiflu stocks effectively.
A HUMAN AI VACCINE?
-------------------
18. (SBU) On November 8, the Minister of Health also asked
the Ambassador for U.S. help in finding a company to work
with Vietnam to produce a human vaccine against AI, as
discussed with HHS Secretary Leavitt in October.
GVN EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN FOR AI - A GOOD START
--------------------------------------------- --
19. (SBU) GVN has developed a draft Emergency Action Plan
for AI and Human Flu Pandemic (EAP), which is dated
September 2005 but has not been officially approved nor
shared publicly. The 63-page draft EAP is comprehensive,
though it needs to be supported by more technical protocols
(e.g. quarantine and disinfection is ordered, but no
specific guidelines are provided). The draft EAP contains
guidance for responding to various outbreak scenarios. It
includes immediate recommendations for procurement of
veterinary and medical supplies and budgets for procuring
minimum stockpiles of personal protective units, chemical
disinfectants, antibiotics and Tamiflu. The plan contains
some discussion of how GVN's Tamiflu stockpile will be
transported and administered, although again specific
details are lacking.
20. (SBU) The draft EAP calls for all government offices,
resources and people to be mobilized in the fight against
the threat of an AI epidemic. The plan directs each line
ministry and province to develop its own Action Plan for AI,
while each provincial health department is to submit a
detailed plan to the respective provincial People's
Committees.
21. (SBU) While the draft EAP provides broad instructions
to investigate, monitor and prevent the spread of an AI
epidemic, the document falls short in details that could
assist provinces should they be required to implement such
guidelines. For example, the document states that "strict
preventative measures such as Tamiflu should be taken by
medical staff and other high risk people," but there is no
discussion for who exactly will administer limited Tamiflu
stocks and who precisely shall receive priority treatment.
22. (SBU) There are only a limited number of well-trained
epidemiologists in Vietnam who could be called upon to
monitor, analyze and respond should more than a few dozen AI
cases occur simultaneously. A general lack of well-trained
technical and administrative staff at provincial levels will
further challenge efforts by authorities to develop and
execute effective AI action planning at provincial and local
levels.
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY EFFORTS TO BOLSTER GVN'S AI STRATEGY
--------------------------------------------- ------
23. (U) The GVN's AI response planning, including the draft
EAP, has received support from the international donor
community. GVN is working with FAO and the World Bank to
restructure the poultry industry while the WHO and the
United States are supporting GVN to develop an H5N1 vaccine.
The UNDP/WHO/FAO AI Program, which received funding from the
USG and other bilateral donors, is fully funded for short-
term AI activities. However, UNDP estimates at least USD
120 million of additional donor assistance as well as
substantial recurrent costs is needed for long-term AI
planning and response (ref C).
Given the number of donors that want to assist, more intra-
donor coordination will be required to reduce the burden on
the GVN and allow decision-makers to focus on actual
implementation rather than coordination. The UNDP is
currently recruiting a coordinator to help in this donor
coordination effort.
24. (U) The UNDP/WHO/FAO AI Program Team believes there are
five priorities for international support, namely: 1)
Vaccinations; 2) Early Warning; 3) Capacity Building; 4)
Long-Term Planning; 5) Awareness Raising and Public
Information. The USG currently funds activities in all five
areas.
CONCLUSION
----------
25. (SBU) The leadership of Vietnam clearly recognizes
that Vietnam may be prove to be ground zero for an H5N1
pandemic. While Vietnam is beginning to roll out and
implement an emergency plan to respond to an influenza
pandemic, like many countries, this poor, underdeveloped
country is far from ready to sustain a direct hit.
Development of strong and sustainable programs to build
capacity on both the animal and human health side is an
urgent need. Further, support for testing and implementing
a useable pandemic influenza preparedness plan is also
critical.
MARINE