Enhancing Control of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Developing Countries through Compensation

This report was prepared by the World Bank, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) for the 4th International Conference on Avian Influenza in Bamako, Mali, in December 2006. The report provides guidelines on good practice for payment of compensation in the fight to eradicate highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). The report is based on literature surrounding compensation practices in the developed world, staff interviews, experience, and specific visits to Egypt, Indonesia, and Vietnam.

This report details the fundamental importance that compensation plays in control strategies for preventing the spread of bird flu. According to the report, compensation acts as an incentive for reporting suspected disease outbreaks, which can lessen the lag time between an outbreak and containment actions. This early reporting thus reduces the spread of transmissible animal diseases while diminishing the overall cost of control measures. Two of the main objectives of compensation schemes include: enhanced early reporting and complete culling of diseased or suspected birds; and reimbursement of losses to private citizens who have complied with a disease control process.

The paper reviews issues and provides recommendations on the following items of good practice:

• Deciding who to compensate;
• Types of losses to be compensated;
• Setting the level and timeliness of compensation;
• Promoting awareness, communication, and capacity building;
• Organising payment while promoting accountability; and
• Shifting compensation strategies as the disease becomes endemic.
Chapter 5, entitled “Promoting Awareness, Communications, and Capacity Building” describes the role of communications in supporting the compensation component in an HPAI programme. The chapter details how communication about compensation is one part of the entire communication package in avian flu control which focuses on information and education, disaster warnings and emergency information, behaviour change and protective action, conflict resolution and joint problem solving. The chapter concludes that an appropriate communications campaign:
• Targets multiple stakeholder audiences on a broad range of behaviours and through multiple channels of communication;
• Induces behaviour change, without causing panic reactions;
• Has multidirectional (vertical and horizontal) flow of information;
• Should be part of the general preparedness planning, although exact details of the level might have to be withheld until just before the culling to avoid high expectations and fraud;
• Is prepared by technicians and communication specialists working together
• Is tailored to local conditions and cultural norms;
• Should provide consistent messages over time, as frequent changes reduce credibility and lead to confusion;
• May cost 10 to 20 percent of the total control package; and
• May need to mobilise non-public sector agents such as non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and telecom companies.
The report is intended for decision makers in the public sector of developing countries, their development partners in international agencies, bilateral donors and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and public/private coalitions, producer organisations and NGOs in developing countries.

Click here to access the full report in PDF format.