Avian Influenza and Human Influenza: UNICEF Contributions

This PowerPoint Presentation was presented by Dr. Gepke Hingst, UNICEF's Avian Influenza Co-ordinator, as part of the UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia Avian Flu Communication Meeting held January 23-24 2006. The presentation outlines how UNICEF's current contributions and future planning fit within the greater United Nations (UN) system coordinated response for preparing for and coping with potential outbreaks of avian influenza (also known as avian flu or bird flu).

According to the presentation, UNICEF's role is built on its mandate to protect children, in this case from: loss of protein and income from the loss of birds; possibility of children becoming infected or losing parents to the disease; and potential education disruptions. The first part of the presentation focuses on the general UNICEF response, including strategies for preparedness, response and programme continuity in the face of an outbreak. Prevention activities include using communication for behavioural change - hygiene, cough etiquette, poultry cooking, poultry-practices, sick poultry reporting, and promotion of responsible media reporting. It also includes assisting in proper disease surveillance and assessing the culling impact on farmer's families, in terms of nutrition.

The latter part of the presentation focuses on UNICEF's communication and media strategy around avian influenza. It suggests that outbreak communication must be open and transparent, providing information about the outbreak and risk, to build trust between the government and public. In terms of fostering resilience of individuals and communities, information for action and risk education should focus on what a person can do, and take into consideration participation and ownership.

Three key implementation principles are:

• strategic communication must be maintained prior to and throughout all pandemic phases;
• containment and response must be preceded by sensitisation and awareness; and
• co-ordination crucial - one message at all times by all (Government, UN-agencies etc).

The presentation outlines the evolving communication needs for avian influenza. It explains that communication needs are first primarily explanatory. The next phase is increasingly pro-active including anticipating public concerns and media perceptions, and integrating these into public health, personal and community actions. In the third phase communication is increasingly used to shape public perceptions and foster preparedness and choice for action.

The presentation outlines a number of areas of ongoing general confusion:

• Are seasonal, avian and pandemic flu the same?
• Are the avian and pandemic flu real threats? Or media hype or ploys to get funding?
• What is the risk? For a pandemic? For getting avian flu?
• What should be done?
• What is the role (and place) of antiviral drugs?
• What is the role (and place) of vaccines?

Communication about avian influenza presents a number of challenges. It is difficult to communicate risk, there is uncertainty about the pandemic, as well as different perceptions by the intended audience. Therefore difficult to predict the behavioural responses to risk messages. Other challenges include:

• monitoring: process and impact;
• quick and efficient co-ordination on all levels;
• coherence and co-ordination between outbreak communication and behavioural change communication;
• risk communication and risk information management;
• deterrent climate in containment situation; and
• UNICEF corporate position vis-à-vis Convention on the Rights of the Child violations.