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Bird flu education campaign is launched nationwide

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  • Bird flu education campaign is launched nationwide

    Bird flu education campaign is launched nationwide

    Mar. 24, 2006

    The Chinese and American Red Cross societies launched a campaign Thursday to blanket China with millions of posters to teach the public to avoid bird flu as health experts warned of new virus risks when migrating birds return from their winter homes.

    Brightly colored, simply written posters and pamphlets with cartoons showing people washing their hands and reporting sick birds are to be given out in markets, bus stations and other public places. One warning on them says: ''Don't let children play with chickens.''

    The campaign was announced at a two-day bird flu conference hosted by Chinese Red Cross in Beijing, which was funded by American Red Cross and attended by all Red Cross provincial branches, officials of China's government departments concerned, the World Health Organization, the U.N. children's agency UNICEF and the U.S. Embassy. Officers from the Federation, ICRC, Vietnam's Red Cross, South Korea and the Netherlands also attended.

    ''The risks for avian influence expanding in China remain high, particularly during the upcoming wild bird 'reverse migration' period in April to June,'' said Ramsey Rayyis, the American Red Cross representative in Beijing.

    The US$150,000 (euro120, 000) publicity campaign is financed by the American Red Cross and the U.S. Agency for International Development. The materials are to be distributed by Chinese Red Cross volunteers nationwide.

    ''We have to reach our goal of raising the public's awareness of bird flu and minimizing the threat of bird flu in human homes,'' said Jiang Yiman, executive vice president of the Chinese Red Cross.

    China has reported 16 human cases of bird flu and 10 deaths, nearly all traced to contact with sick birds. The government has destroyed tens of millions of chickens, ducks and other poultry to contain outbreaks.

    In northwestern region of the country, Ningxia, local Red Cross is planning to give out the new posters and pamphlets in schools.

    ''We're going to give material to the kids so they can take it home and teach their parents,'' an officer of Red Cross said.

    Ningxia has reported one flu outbreak in birds but none in humans.

    The American Red Cross says it has paid for similar publicity campaigns in Vietnam and Cambodia.

    Organizers are looking for donations to expand the campaign to TV, radio and the Internet, Rayyis said.

    The posters and pamphlets include a list of four do's and don'ts and also show a boy phoning to report a sick bird and an ill person visiting a doctor.


  • #2
    Re: Bird flu education campaign is launched nationwide

    $150,000 - that'll buy virtually nothing.

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