By Ramaz Mitaishvili, MD
Foundation of Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Abkhazia, including monitoring of Avian Influenza, ASF, malaria, cholera
Proposed Center will cover Caucasus, including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, as well as Black Sea area, including Turkey, Ukraine and other countries. We believe that foundation of Center for Disease Control and Prevention in cooperation with separatist self-proclaimed government and policies are needed to restore humanitarian assistance to the people in Abkhazia, but caution that new restrictions imposed by the separatists are making such efforts more difficult.
Background
There is a growing humanitarian crisis in Abkhazia. The ruling government’s policies have restricted nearly all aid and allowed serious infectious diseases to spread unchecked. With the global spread of bird flu, there is a fear that if a human form of H5N1 were to take hold in Abkhazia, it could potentially spread unchecked for weeks or months before anyone knew about it. Uncontrolled spread of any disease, especially an emerging disease like H5N1, poses a serious health threat to Abkhazia’s populous neighbors, like Russia (Sochi (host of Winter Olympics 2014 is just 20 miles away from Abkhazia), as well as the rest of the world. Separatist government policies in Abkhazia (that restrict public health and humanitarian aid have created an environment where AIDS, drug-resistant tuberculosis, malaria and bird flu (H5N1) are spreading unchecked, could pose a serious health threat to other nations and the world.
Proposed Schedule
Center must be charged with the task to respond to bioterrorism, chemical terrorism and other public health emergencies, including outbreaks. The proposed center is a unique asset in the nation’s growing preparedness for biological and chemical terrorism. Center must be linked linking of state and local public health laboratories, veterinary, agriculture, military, and water- and food-testing laboratories is unprecedented. Good practices in prevention and control programs must be shared with Abkhazian separatist regime.
Center Departments:
- Agents, Diseases, & Other Threats
- Bioterrorism
- Monitoring & Detection. Recent Outbreaks & Incidents
- Chemical Emergencies
- Natural Disasters & Severe Weather
- Radiation Emergencies
- Mental Health
- Lab Training & Education
All departments must be focused on preparation and planning
Because of limitation in financing in the beginning we will focus on specific needs: Bioterrorism, Monitoring & detection, recent outbreaks & incidents predominantly of Avian Influenza, TB, ASF, and malaria, Lab Training and Education.
Los Angeles, CA
