Avian and Pandemic Influenza Briefing

This 39-slide PowerPoint presentation explores CARE Vietnam's strategy related to addressing avian influenza (AI). It provides a background on influenza pandemics and the risk of avian flu, outlines staff safety and security issues, and explores CARE's communication-focused response to the issue - both in terms of specific programme activities, and as related to advocacy.

CARE's response to the AI situation in Vietnam is characterised by the following approaches:

• Planning - CARE Vietnam is developing a country-level, office-specific preparedness strategy and participating in a national task force on preparedness and response. CARE stresses that this planning process should be a collaborative effort, and should involve the appropriate CARE staff. Various aspects to consider when developing an emergency preparedness plan are outlined (e.g., how will current communications plans (phone trees, equipment, etc) work during a flu pandemic? What are the specific names/contact details to whom staff can report suspected cases of avian flu?).
• Taking action - CARE is developing communication strategies and materials to inform the public about AI, and incorporating AI activities in current programming.
• Advocating - CARE is urging that national governments plan and promote preparedness.

As part of this response, CARE Vietnam has developed a number of slides which are included in this resource. These slides provide basic information which could be potentially incorporated into programming or messaging, and include the following:

• what a pandemic is, how it occurs, and what the level of risk is that bird flu (the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza strain, or H5N1) will infect humans;
• a multi-coloured chart illustrating how new viruses emerge;
• a brief history of influenza pandemics in the 20th century;
• a chart, with notes, indicating the potential impact of the next influenza pandemic, worldwide;
• a brief history of how H5N1 developed, and how and why human infection has occurred;
• a chart detailing confirmed human cases of AI, as reported to the World Health Organization, or WHO (i.e. in December of 2005, WHO announced that a total of 142 laboratory-confirmed cases of H5N1 infection had been reported worldwide, and all the affected countries were in Asia, with 74 deaths. By May 2006, the number of countries reporting cases in human had doubled and spread to the middle East, Central Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa);
• details about characteristics of human H5N1 illness and possible treatment;
• slides outlining WHO guidelines to reduce risk of exposure to H5N1. This material includes: an explanation of the importance of proper hand washing and correct techniques (also illustrated through photos), indications of how to practice good "cough/sneeze etiquette", a look at the process of "surface disinfection", and other bullet-pointed lists that delineate simple means of reducing risk of bird flu infection to both adults and children;
• specific guidelines for workers; for example, although seasonal influenza vaccine will not prevent avian flu, CARE notes that this will avoid the risk of dual infection with avian and human influenza viruses and prevent weakening immune defences;
• lists of recommendations from WHO and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to follow if you think you have been exposed to the virus;
• guidelines from the CDC about what steps to take if you become ill;
• group discussion questions to facilitate dialogue on: staff safety and security measures and implications, programming, and advocacy around AI (meant for a country office; visit CARE's avian flu website for examples of staff safety guidelines);

Subsequent slides in this presentation explore CARE's programme activities, such as its efforts to educate and mobilise communities about AI. As indicated here, CARE Vietnam has developed and implemented an information, education, and communication (IEC) campaign that involves the dissemination of messages about preventing avian flu in poultry and humans, as well as community mobilisation to enhance these educational activities. For instance, CARE Vietnam has produced materials as part of a pilot project on community education and training of veterinary workers on AI. (Some documents from this programme are available; click here for access.)

In developing future CARE programming, one key strategy will be facilitating fruitful collaborations as part of national AI planning and preparedness efforts. In addition to working with health officials, CARE is encouraging its staff to foster cooperation between local non-governmental organisations (NGOs), faith-based organisations (FBOs), and private voluntary organisations (PVOs) in order to support government, WHO, and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) preparedness and response plans.

The concluding slides of this resource focus on CARE's advocacy response. "CARE approaches avian flu not only as a critical health issue, but also as a livelihoods issue that could erase hard-won development gains and push people into extreme poverty." To that end, the organisation has produced several advocacy documents, which may be accessed here. A key advocacy strategy has involved working with the media to: assure that correct information is provided to the public, dispel misconceptions about AI, draw attention to the women and economically poorer households that are affected by avian flu, and disseminate up-to-date, country-specific information about AI prevention and programming.