CARE Launches Bird Flu Awareness Campaign in Vietnam CARE is launching a campaign to raise awareness about Avian Influenza, or bird, flu, in Vietnam, as concerns grow that a type of bird flu will cross over from animals to humans and jump borders, creating a global epidemic of disease. Vietnam is one of four countries with confirmed human cases of bird flu. Public service announcements on Avian Influenza (AI) created by CARE are now airing on television in Binh Dinh province in Central Vietnam and Long An province in the Mekong Delta. These announcements are expected to reach 1,500,000 people — approximately 60 percent of the total population of both provinces. They provide information on who can become infected with AI, how people can protect themselves and their families from the virus, and how farmers can keep their flocks of poultry from getting the disease. "It's impossible for us to know the timing and exact nature of a possible global epidemic, known as a pandemic," says Dr. Sanjay Sinho, Health Director for CARE USA. "But when it happens, the disease will strike hardest at the people CARE serves — the poorest, most marginalized people in developing countries. We have the responsibility and the capability to assist these communities by raising awareness and distributing key information on prevention and preparedness." CARE has also distributed more than 60,000 leaflets on Avian Influenza in Vietnam. Working closely with its local partners, CARE is updating its existing booklets on recognizing and preventing Avian Influenza. CARE will print approximately 40,000 copies in November. CARE is working cooperatively with organizations such as The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). CARE expects to expand this awareness campaign to other communities where we work around the world. The organization has been playing a leading role in AI prevention, preparedness and mitigation in Vietnam since February 2004, when it created the first Avian Influenza project in Binh Dinh province. The project trained veterinary staff, improved reporting systems on Avian Flu, established a poultry database, and put into place a comprehensive Avian Influenza impact assessment. That work led to a recent CARE survey conducted from December 2004 to January 2005 which involved 600 households in four provinces of small farmers in the province, gathering facts about their knowledge of Avian Flu. "The survey revealed many high risk practices and little understanding of bird flu," says Carol Sherman, CARE Country Director for Vietnam. "As a result, we launched the 'STOP AI' project in Binh Dinh and Long An provinces to deal with disease prevention, control and management." The program reaches approximately 66,000 people in both provinces, raising community awareness about the disease and providing bio-safety equipment to the animal and public health services, including disinfectant and disposable masks, gowns and gloves. The program also trains public and animal health workers to detect and prevent AI. Special emphasis is placed on promoting safe poultry farming practices which lessen the risk that poultry will get infected and transmit the virus to people. "There has been no outbreak of Avian Influenza in these provinces to date and that is a very positive sign," Sherman said. Outbreaks of Avian influenza, or bird flu, have occurred among poultry in Asia since 1997. The virus is now also found in a wide variety of birds in addition to chickens and ducks. Since December 26, 2003, the World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed 116 human cases of Avian Influenza in humans in four countries (Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Indonesia) and 60 deaths (51percentfatality rate). Affected countries have also included Korea, Japan, Malaysia, and China; recently, AI has also been detected in Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Romania and Tajikistan. Please see CAREs briefing paper on Avian Influenza for more information.
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Atlanta, GA: Alina Labrada, CARE, labrada@care.org , (404) 979-9383, (404) 457-4644
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