Early Education Key to Avian Flu Prevention
When it comes to avian influenza, commonly known as “bird flu”, USAID believes that prevention offers the best chance for saving lives. This is especially true when it’s the lives of children that hang in the balance.
According to UNICEF, children represent nearly half of the fatalities related to avian influenza to date. In response to this disturbing data, USAID/Bosnia-Herzegovina has prepared for a potential avian influenza outbreak by supporting a community-based information campaign that teaches children and families actions they can take to prevent the spread of the killer disease. Preventative behaviors include good hygienic habits, separating domestic birds from wild ones, and cooking poultry meat and eggs at over 75 degrees Celsius (167 degrees Fahrenheit). These healthy practices can avert the spread of other diseases as well.
The campaign, implemented by UNICEF and facilitated by SOS Kinderdorf, sponsors workshops with children and families in schools, rural communities with little access to mass media, and among the Roma.
Although avian influenza has not yet been documented in BiH, the threat is present. Scientists fear that a new strain, transmissible among humans, could potentially kill up to 50 million people.
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| Children study booklets portraying safe practices to prevent avian flu transmission |
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