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Bangladesh has been hit hard this year by bird flu, and UNICEF representatives are attempting to promote better awareness in hopes of staving off fresh outbreaks.
Fresh outbreak will spell disaster: Experts
Staff Correspondent
There is no difference between avian influenza and bird flu, said UNICEF communication officer at a press briefing yesterday.
The press briefing on 'Bird Flu' was organised by UNICEF at its office in the city.
"In good faith the bodies concerned created confusion..., we failed to translate the word in our language," said Shamsuddin Ahmed.
He said the bodies concerned including the ministries of information, health and livestock along with other UN organisations held a number of sessions to contextualise the avian influenza in Bangladesh perspective.
Shamsuddin said the role of media regarding the potential bird flu epidemic should be to accurately and effectively inform the public and not to create panic.
"The role of media is not to scare, but to inform," he added.
During his power point presentation, Shamsuddin apprised of avian influenza or bird flu and its effect on a country like Bangladesh, where poultry is the source of income for at least 40 lakh families, 1 crore 60 lakh women in rural areas breed fowls and 1 lakh 24 thousand farmers produce corn, fish and other poultry feeds.
Experts fear if there is another outbreak of bird flu in a tropical country like Bangladesh, it would spell a disaster for the public as well for the poultry sector, where the investment is at least Tk 12000 crore, he added.
Stressing on changing the health habits of people, Shamsuddin insisted on keeping the children far from the fowls since a study showed that of the 191 death cases, 40 percent were children.
"No longer is bird flu relegated only to birds, as the virus strengthens and mutates, resulting in a contagion that can move from bird to human," he said, disseminating the comment of Dr David Nabaro, UN coordinator on influenza chapter, that the pandemic in future would cause death of people ranging from 50 lakh to 15 crore.
He said the issue is not a far-away topic now for Bangladesh and people should be aware of it since the scientists are yet to invent any medicine that would cure the disease.
Later he discussed how UNICEF is conducting the awareness programme by involving people from all strata.
"We have involved 'Village theatre' to hold 800 dramas to enlighten the rural people and children, and we have trained up 3.5 lakh people with the Japanese grant worth US $1.2 billion," he added.
He also apprised the reporters of the steps taken by the government which include formulating and adopting the strategy to prevent bird flu and human influenza pandemic.
