Avian Flu Campaigns Reach Schools

This article details an avian influenza campaign in Thailand, led by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) that is teaching school children about bird flu prevention. According to the article, the campaign is teaching children simple steps about how to avoid catching avian influenza from dead or ill poultry. Educational material, including two million colourful posters and two million pamphlets are being distributed to 40,000 schools across Thailand. The materials contain cartoon illustrations that are simple and easy for children to understand.

According to the article, in addition to the posters and pamphlets, UNICEF has designed five kinds of curriculum for the kindergarten level, and the organisation is looking to further integrate avian flu awareness into school curricula. Health kits containing soap, nail clippers, nail brushes and washcloths, have also been distributed to 30,000 Thai households.

According to UNICEF’s Katherine Imhof, word-of-mouth is the most successful way of educating children aabout bird flu. "It's kids communicating with kids that get the message across. They're encouraged to ask questions among themselves and they listen to their peers."