A Central Java district commits $10,000 to support the war on Bird Flu
By DY Suharya June 21, 2007, Temanggung, Indonesia – Inspired by a small idea that is having a big impact on the war on bird flu in Indonesia, Temanggung District administration has decided to commit its’ own funds to help build public awareness about avian influenza. The Temanggung administration, inspired after receiving over 650 Avian Influenza Prevention Kits”, popularly known as “the AI Kit”, announced last week its commitment of Rp 100 million (around US$ 11,000) to support bird-flu prevention and to fund social mobilization activities in their region. The local government will allot the money from their 2007 district budget. UNICEF has distributed 20,600 AI kits in all in Central Java Province, covering 35 districts, and another 6000 AI kits in Yogyakarta Province, covering 5 districts. These kits will be used to provide as many as 35 million people in Central Java and Yogyakarta with practical guidance on how to protect themselves from bird flu. Temanggung, a district with a population of over 700,000, faces a great challenge in dealing with the bird-flu virus. Bird flu has killed some 500 chickens in the district, according to the district administration data. For over three years, Indonesia has been facing the formidable challenge of trying to contain the spread of bird flu. The greatest risk of contracting the virus is in the villages, where many people live in close proximity to poultry. Birds are traditionally a part of every day life Almost all provinces in the country have recorded outbreaks of bird flu among poultry and 11 provinces have recorded human cases of bird flu. As of June 24, 2007, Indonesia has recorded 101 human cases, including 80 fatalities.
The AI Kit is a UNICEF initiative to equip those at–risk villages with the information they need to better protect themselves from the deadly virus. UNICEF has the full support of the Indonesian National Committee for Avian Influenza Control and Pandemic Preparedness (KOMNAS FBPI) and funding support from the Government of Japan to produce and distribute 100,000 AI kits to villages across Java and South Sulawesi. Local governments are getting on board with the movement. On June 22, Temanggung District Secretary Mr. Setyo Aji handed over $100 to all sub district heads in Temanggung to support the public awareness campaign. In addition, the Temanggung administration pledges to continue support for the training of community members from all the 13 sub-districts through UNICEF-developed community training methods. “We are committed to do everything we can to prevent and control Avian Influenza in our villages, we give thanks that UNICEF has introduced us with great community training tools and an excellent communication,” said Head of Temanggung Development Planning Agency, Mr. Bambang Arrohman. UNICEF has trained dozens of community members from seven sub districts in Temanggung on how to lower the risks of contracting bird flu. The participants and the trainers come from various backgrounds and organizations, such as women’s organizations, farmers, health workers, government officials and village leaders. In addition to Temanggung, several district administrations in Central Java have also pledged financial support to boost the war on bird flu. Batang District administration in Central Java has pledged $ 4,000, while in Yogyakarta province, Kulon Progo has pledged $ 7000 and Municipal Yogya, $ 4000. “I am excited to hear that Temanggung and other district administrations in Central Java and Yogyakarta have shown amazing progress. The allocation of funds from their local budget has demonstrated an increased commitment to work with UNICEF to deal with bird flu. Lets expand our activities and work hand in hand to win the race against the killer flu,” said UNICEF Central Java Chief of Field Office, I Made Sutama.
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