Avian and pandemic influenza
Communication Campaigns
In Azerbaijan, UNICEF is working closely with the government, WHO, WFP and other partners to ensure that families have the knowledge they need to protect themselves and their birds and to be ready to respond to the emergence of a pandemic. UNICEF has developed information materials with the Ministries of Health, Education and Agriculture and is supporting NGO networks to deliver critical life-saving messages. A hunting ban has been put in place since an outbreak in February 2006. Thanks largely to unfailing cooperation from local communities, the effort to educate the public about bird flu prevention seems to be working. [Materials for download.]
In Bosnia and Herzegovina in order to prepare children and families for a potential avian influenza outbreak, UNICEF, with financial support from USAID, is mobilizing partners in a joint effort to provide critical information about avian and pandemic influenza prevention and to avert the panic, especially in remote and poor communities. Activities include the development of a communication strategy; mass media production and community-based communication so that children and families gain life-saving knowledge and learn actions they can take to prevent the potential spread of the killer disease. [Materials for download.]
In Cambodia, three studies have been undertaken to improve communication materials. Findings and reommendation from these studies will guide the development of new communication and training materials by AED, FAO and UNICEF. [Materials for download.]
In Egypt, working in collaboration with NGOs such as Terres Des Hommes, UNICEF focused on the seven most affected governorates. Intervenions included social mobilisation awareness campaigns as well as house-to-house educational activities at the village level. The Ministry of Health deployed more than 2,500 Raidat (community health workers), who were trained to deliver key preventive and behavioural messages to achieve a minimum set of change in practices in these areas. Policy advocacy at the governorate level was also a key strategy, as was networking with NGOs and civil society. Schoolchildren were also educated about key preventive practices. UNICEF sponsored a national radio campaign that included a celebrity drama, a mini drama, educational spots, children's songs, and question and answer talk shows; this campaign echoed the messages disseminated at the community level. In 2008, UNICEF will continnue to support the Government in controlling the spread of H5N1 virus, minimizing the risk to humans, and taking measures to prepare for a possible pandemic. [Materials for download.]
In Georgia, UNICEF is supporting the Government in building awareness about avian and pandemic influenza by developing posters, leaflets, and videos for children and families as well as through formal and non-formal education. A study undertaken to identify cultural, economic and behavioral barriers and enablers to adoption of healthy behaviors and safe practices related to poultry keeping, raising, handling and consumption. In March 2007, UNICEF supported the Ministry of Education and Science in conducting a two-day school event for children on protecting themselves and others. [Materials for download.]
In Indonesia, UNICEF has launched a new nationwide campaign in Indonesia to raise awareness among children about the dangers of bird flu. Some 50,000 schools will take part in the programme over the next few months. Each school is to receive a kit complete with a variety of educational tools that were specially developed using characters from a popular local TV series. The Take Action Against Bird Flu campaign, funded by the Government and people of Japan, and launched in September 2006 in Jakarta included a nationwide advertising strategy with public service announcements and community events. More than 30 million households in Indonesia own chickens, posing a big challenge in the battle against bird flu. UNICEF is working closely with Indonesia’s National Commission on Avian Influenza, as well as local governments, to raise public awareness and give communities the tools they need to protect themselves. [Materials for download.]
In Lao PDR, the government has developed a National Avian Influenza Control and Pandemic Preparedness Plan. The joint programme launched by the Lao PDR Governemnt and UNICEF, with a grant from the Government of Japan, includes increased surveillance of poultry, health education, training and activities to raise community awareness to prevent the spread of avian and human influenza. [Materials for download.]
In Moldova, 500,000 school-age children participated in an interactive Special Hour on Avian Influenza carried out by the Ministry of Education with UNICEF support. The children learnt about “the six basic rules on prevention of Avian Influenza,” and brought back home prevention messages back to their families. The special event was only one of an array of activities set out in the National Communication Strategy on Prevention of Avian Influenza in Moldova. The strategy, adopted by the Government, was developed with UNICEF support. [Materials for download.]
In Myanmar, UNICEF is the UN focal agency for the coordination of avian influenza communication efforts. UNICEF is working to coordinate rapid Knowledge-Attitude-Practices surveys among key target audiences, such as commercial poultry farm workers, backyard poultry farmers, market vendors, poultry transporters, food handlers, and children. Using the findings from the surveys and with funding from the Government of Japan, UNICEF is working with a range of partners to develop effective communication activities and materials to use in preventing avian and human influenza. [Materials for downloadee.]
In Nigeria, UNICEF is working with the Ministries of Health, Education and Agriculture, NGOs and a network of traditional and religious leaders to reach the most remote communities with preventive and critical life-saving messages. With funding from the Japanese Government, UNICEF and Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Information and Communications are supporting the open dialogue sessions in local communities to share information about how to avoid bird flu infection and what to do if there is an outbreak. [Materials for download.]
In Thailand, a nationwide school-based campaign aimed at helping Thai children and their families protect themselves from the threat of Avian Influenza was launched on 10 October 2006 by the Ministry of Education (MOE). The MOE campaign supported by UNICEF and funded by the Government of Japan will cover all 40,000 elementary and secondary schools in the country and will focus on promoting frequent hand washing, rapid reporting of sick and dead poultry and other key behaviours needed to prevent the spread of the deadly H5N1 virus that causes Avian Influenza. [Materials for download.]
In Turkey, where the four resulting deaths from avian influenza were children, UNICEF has activated a 150,000-strong team of volunteers for girls’ education to help spread prevention messages on avian influenza. Four-year-old Selami Bas, has been the only person in Sanliurafa Province to have contracted the avian flu virus which swept the country and survived. [Materials for download.]
In Viet Nam, UNICEF is working with Government Ministries, the FAO, WHO and UNDP in Phase II of the Joint Government / United Nations Programme for strengthening capacity development for management of public health emergencies with a focus on avian and human influenza. [Materials for download.]
