Cablegate: Egyptian Ministry of Health Blocks Samples for Cdc

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS CAIRO 009351

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON EG PREL TBIO
SUBJECT: EGYPTIAN MINISTRY OF HEALTH BLOCKS SAMPLES FOR CDC
FLU VACCINES

1. (SBU) Summary: The Egyptian Ministry of Health (MOH) is
currently preventing the U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit
(NAMRU-3) in Cairo from bringing influenza tissue samples
into Egypt for testing at NAMRU's labs. Interventions at
various levels have failed to move the GOE, significantly
hampering NAMRU's work. End summary.

2. (SBU) The GOE blocked avian tissue samples from Ukraine
from entering the country on December 11. Post intervened
with the Ministries of Health and Foreign Affairs as well as
the Prime Minister's Office in an unsuccessful effort to
unblock the samples. The MOH granted NAMRU-3 verbal approval
on December 17 to import human samples from Baku, but
rescinded its approval on December 18. NAMRU-3 had
experienced a similar problem in October, when the MOH
blocked some avian tissue samples. These samples were later
released after discussions with Embassy officials but the GOE
is proving less flexible now.

3. (SBU) NAMRU has been bringing tissue samples to Egypt for
testing since the 1950s; such testing is central to NAMRU's
work as a WHO reference laboratory. This is the height of
the flu season, and NAMRU is currently collecting samples
from all countries in the region. Other shipments of human
samples will arrive from Kyrgyzstan on December 29, and
Uzbekistan and Oman on December 26. Quick testing of tissue
samples is needed for tracking the spread of avian influenza,
developing vaccines for ordinary human influenza, and for
training. NAMRU-3 does not expect to find any positive
results for H5N1 avian influenza; the samples are used for
detecting typical influenza strains. The samples are coming
from countries where there have been no confirmed cases of AI.

4. (SBU) Comment: The blocking of avian tissue samples,
while frustrating, is something that might have been overcome
with time and working level discussion, as it was in October.
The shift in policy may be attributable to Ministry of
Health Under Secretary Sayed Nasser's absence from the
country for the past 2 weeks. During this time his
colleague, Under Secretary Magda Raka, has blocked all NAMRU
samples apparently fearing a negative news story that Egypt
is importing avian influenza through NAMRU. With Nasser's
expected return on December 20 we hope to reverse the new
policy, but it is possible that Raka has lined up strong
support at the Ministerial and even Prime Ministerial level.
End comment.

JONES

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