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Malaysian media get the scoop on avian flu reporting

Reporters record statements from Salt Media Consultancy's Hisham Harun who plays a "neighbour" affected by the H5N1 virus during role playing sessions at the Reporters Workshop.

by Indra Nadchatram

KUALA LUMPUR, 18 December 2006 – Eighteen reporters from Malaysia, including Sabah and Sarawak, were recently given the scoop on the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in support of Government initiatives to ensure that Malaysia remains free of the virus.

Malaysia was declared HPAI free in June 2006 having successfully controlled several outbreaks among poultry earlier in the year.

The two-day workshop organised by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) was designed to inspire reporters to produce articles and programs to educate the public about prevention measures despite Malaysia’s success being free of the deadly bird flu virus.

“We cannot afford for the media to be complacent. They say that to the average journalist, bad news is good news. Without a calamity, interest wanes, and important issues get relegated to deeper pages or minor news slots. We must however be mindful that Malaysia is in a region that is recording worrying numbers of avian flu outbreaks in poultry with human fatalities,” said Ms. Gaye Phillips, UNICEF Representative to Malaysia and Special Representative to Singapore and Brunei.

Reporting with clarity

Editors Briefing: UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Mr Toshiyuki Niwa, UNICEF Malaysia Representative Ms Gaye Phillips, Embassy of Japan's Mr Koghi Hattori, Datin Rose Ismail and WHO's Dr. B Venugopalan.

The Workshop offered a comprehensive understanding of avian influenza to enable local reporters to present the issue with greater confidence and clarity. Representing both English and vernacular language media - newspaper, magazine, TV and radio, reporters were briefed on different aspects of preparedness ranging from the importance of distinguishing the different types of influenza to crisis reporting and management.

Topics and speakers at the Workshop were:

Avian Influenza – A Conceptual Focus
Dr B. Venugopalan
Technical Officer, WHO Representative Officer for Brunei, Malaysia and Singapore.
World Health Organisation

The Role of the Ministry of Health in the National Response to Avian Influenza
Dato’ Dr Ramlee Rahmat
Director of Disease Control Division
Ministry of Health

Responding to Avian Influenza in Malaysia and the ASEAN region – The Role of the Malaysian Department of Veterinary Services
Dr Kamarudin Md Isa
Head of Disease Control Unit
Department of Veterinary Services, Epidemiology and Veterinary Medicine Division
Ministry of Agriculture

Crisis Reporting
Mr. Balan Moses
Senior Editor and Media Trainer
New Straits Times

Media, Ministers, and Risk Communication: Counter-intuitive Tales
Dr Jody Lanard, M.D.
Psychiatrist and Risk Communication Consultant

Simulation exercises

Reporters also participated in exercises simulating a HPAI outbreak in Malaysia to put to test the information and skills acquired during the expert briefings. AirAsia, DIGI, HSBC, Pensonic, Salt Media Consultancy, Shangri-La Hotel and The Body Shop Malaysia sponsored gifts for all reporters.

Funded by the Government of Japan, UNICEF’s Avian Flu Communications Program in Malaysia also included:

A four-day risk communication workshop for twenty health officials from the Ministry of Health; and,
A breakfast briefing titled “How Do You Like Your Eggs?” for thirteen Malaysian editors, producers and senior reporters from print and broadcast media. The briefing was officiated by UNICEF’s Deputy Executive Director Mr. Toshiyuki Niwa.

According to Ms. Phillips, all sectors of Malaysian society have their respective roles to play in the national preparedness and response to a HPAI pandemic.

“We cannot wait until there is a bird flu human fatality in Malaysia to educate the public on health and basic preventive measures. We must act now to provide the public with information, when the public has more power than anyone to avert a catastrophe,” she said.

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NOTE TO EDITOR

Highly Pathogenic Avian Flu in Malaysia

August 2004: The first Highly Pathogenic Avian Flu (HPAI) outbreak in Malaysia occurred on 17 August 2004 coinciding with a wave of outbreaks in the region. Eight more outbreaks followed, the last of which was in September 2004. All outbreaks were subtyped H5N1 and confined to the state of Kelantan. Free-range village chickens, ducks and quail caged on raised floors were affected with 101 deaths recorded among poultry.

February 2006: The second national outbreak was recorded in Malaysia after it appeared in free range chickens in villages near Kuala Lumpur. The outbreak triggered the slaughter of tens of thousands of birds. Since then, there were five other outbreaks of H5NI among poultry in Perak and Penang.

June 2006: Malaysia is declared H5NI free.

To-date, there have been no human HPAI cases in Malaysia.

For information about Malaysia’s National Influenza Pandemic Preparedness Plan, please visit http://www.dph.gov.my/survelans.

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