Cablegate: Latvian Implementation of Berlin Declaration On Tb

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RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHRA #0117 0650950
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 050950Z MAR 08 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY RIGA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4771
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS RIGA 000117

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO WHO XG LG
SUBJECT: LATVIAN IMPLEMENTATION OF BERLIN DECLARATION ON TB

REF: STATE 6989

1. Per reftel request, the following is the status of Latvia's
implementation of the Berlin Declaration on Tuberculosis (TB).

2. According to Rinalds Mucins, Ministry of Health Under Secretary
of State, Latvia has had an active anti-tuberculosis program in
place since the mid-1990's, so no fundamental revisions or new
programs have been necessary to meet the GOL's Berlin Declaration
commitments. Political will has been strong to combat the disease,
he said, and collaboration between the government, health care
providers, and the private sector has been good. Mucins noted
statistics that Latvia's incidence of TB per 100,000 residents,
which peaked in 1998 at 14.7, dropped to 5.4 in 2007.

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Adoption of Stop TB Strategy
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3. Mucins said that the Health Ministry has prepared its 2008-2012
Program for Tuberculosis Containment, which will be presented to the
government in June, with PM approval expected by the end of summer.
The 2008-2012 program includes, point-by-point, all six components
listed in the Berlin Declaration, and adds a seventh component on
international collaboration in fighting TB. He noted that Latvia
already implements the DOTS and DOTS-plus strategies. Anti-TB
medicines are free to patients and doses are administered either in
the doctor's office or by medical workers at the patient's home.

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Sustainable Financing and Regional Efforts
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4. Latvia's own resources are sufficient to fund their anti-TB
efforts, according to Mucins, so no outside funding is needed. He
said that Latvia does receive EU funding to combat TB, and uses that
money to send experts to other countries, particularly noting that
Latvia provides advice and project assistance to Moldova. Mucins
also stated that Latvia's premier anti-TB institute, the Latvian
Center of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, provides training to
physicians and medical students in the region, and has specialized
expertise in Multiple-Drug Resistant TB treatment.

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