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Thailand: Avian Flu Campaigns Reach Schools
Avian Flu Campaigns Reach Schools
Lynette Coroporal
BANGKOK, Apr 15 (IPS/Newsmekong) - Grade 7 student Sakulrathna Muadkum says she knows what avian influenza is. "I saw posters of it and I will simply not eat chicken that died of the flu," the pupil at Watnuannoradit School, here in Thai capital, said nonchalantly.
Over in Ranong in southern Thailand, a shy Htet Htet said in his native Burmese: "My teacher told us to wash our hands often so we don't get sick. I will also not eat chicken if I think it died of bird flu."
The 12-year-old student of Victoria Learning Centre in Ranong, a southern Thai province on the border with Burma, added that he has seen colourful posters about bird flu in his community.
Efforts like these to reach young people and inform them about how to prevent the H5N1 strain of avian influenza from affecting their communities and transmission to humans are underway, whether or not bird flu is in the news headlines or not.
Prevention is the key word, according to 2.1 million US dollar nationwide campaign in Thailand, led by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), to spread awareness about the H5N1 virus among schoolchildren.
Via two million each of colourful posters and pamphlets being distributed to 40,000 schools in Thailand, children as young as four or five years are taught simple and easy steps about avian flu and how to avoid catching the disease from dead or ill fowl.
In early February, the World Health Organisation released a study pointing to evidence that young people are more susceptible to the H5N1 avian influenza virus and are more likely to die of it than older people. The report, examining the 256 confirmed bird flu cases in 10 countries from Nov. 25, 2003 to Nov. 24, 2006, showed that the death rate was highest among the below 20- age group.
The cases of 65 children under 10 and in the 10-19 age group were recorded. Of the 60 percent case fatality rate for all age groups, 44 percent was recorded for those under five years of age, 49 percent for 5 to 9-year-olds, and 76 percent for those in the 10-19 age group.
Outbreaks of the H5N1 strain in Thailand, the world's fourth largest poultry producer, have been occurring since 2004. In recent years, this avian flu strain has also been passed on from infected chickens and birds to human beings, raising fears of a possible pandemic. Seventeen people out of 25 human cases of avian flu have died from it in Thailand since 2004. Thirty Thai provinces have had outbreaks of avian flu from three years ago.
The message in the education material on bird flu is for young people to report dead poultry to proper authorities, to know that dead birds must be separated from healthy and live ones, to adopt frequent hand-washing and employ safe poultry cooking practices, explained Mark Thomas, UNICEF communications officer for Thailand.
Thirteen-year-old Thitima Kaowjang says she has seen the posters and is ready to follow the ministry of public health's instructions. "I am fully aware of the dangers of bird flu and the ways to prevent its spread such as frequent washing of the hands," she said.
"We made sure that these posters and pamphlets were simple and easy enough for any kid to understand," Thomas explained. The materials ranged from cartoon-type illustrations of children washing hands to photos of dead chicken.
At the same time there are other organisations engaged in promoting knowledge of the right information about avian flu.
"There were people who went to our school three times and taught us about bird flu," said 13-year-old Lin Tun, referring to World Vision staff who visited the Victoria Learning Centre in Ranong to train students about bird flu prevention.
A few schools in Bangkok, however, have yet to see a sign of these campaign materials.
"I've never read information about bird flu, nor have I been given advice on the issue in the school. But my students know about the issue as we've had discussions in class about it," said Nick James who teaches high school students at the ThewPaingarm school.
"There is a lack of basic information right now on what to do in case bird flu strikes. I'd probably recognise the symptoms (of the disease) but I wouldn't know how to prevent it. I don't even know what number to call," James explained.
Nantaporn Poungkaew, a teacher at Sri Satri Wittaya School, also has not seen any poster or pamphlet in the school. "But my students know very well about this and they talk and report about this in class. They can also get information from the Internet," said Nantaporn who has been teaching for almost 30 years.
She, however, noted the lack of bird flu information in the media. "Kids watch a lot of TV and it's a pity that they don't get necessary information about bird flu there," she said.
Apart from posters and pamphlets, UNICEF with the help of Thailand's ministry of education is looking at integrating bird flu awareness in school curricula. UNICEF's Katherine Imhof said that five kinds of curriculum have been designed for the kindergarten level.
Imhof says that 2.98 million posters and booklets have been distributed in schools nationwide. There are plans to develop material in languages such as Burmese and Karen in order to reach those living in refugee camps as well as migrant communities.
Among border communities, Thomas said that 10,500 pamphlets in the Burmese language and 5,500 posters in English, Karen and Burmese are being distributed. This is apart from the 30,000 health kits containing, among other things, 10 bars of soap, one washcloth, two nail clippers, four nail brushes. One household gets one kit.
Thomas said that word-of-mouth remains the most effective way to get children's attention to the perils of avian influenza. "It's kids communicating with kids that get the message across. They're encouraged to ask questions among themselves and they listen to their peers."
(*This story was written for the Avian Flu Series in the Mekong region, which appears on www.newsmekong.org. It is coordinated by IPS Asia-Pacific under its Imaging Our Mekong programme.)
Lynette Coroporal
BANGKOK, Apr 15 (IPS/Newsmekong) - Grade 7 student Sakulrathna Muadkum says she knows what avian influenza is. "I saw posters of it and I will simply not eat chicken that died of the flu," the pupil at Watnuannoradit School, here in Thai capital, said nonchalantly.
Over in Ranong in southern Thailand, a shy Htet Htet said in his native Burmese: "My teacher told us to wash our hands often so we don't get sick. I will also not eat chicken if I think it died of bird flu."
The 12-year-old student of Victoria Learning Centre in Ranong, a southern Thai province on the border with Burma, added that he has seen colourful posters about bird flu in his community.
Efforts like these to reach young people and inform them about how to prevent the H5N1 strain of avian influenza from affecting their communities and transmission to humans are underway, whether or not bird flu is in the news headlines or not.
Prevention is the key word, according to 2.1 million US dollar nationwide campaign in Thailand, led by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), to spread awareness about the H5N1 virus among schoolchildren.
Via two million each of colourful posters and pamphlets being distributed to 40,000 schools in Thailand, children as young as four or five years are taught simple and easy steps about avian flu and how to avoid catching the disease from dead or ill fowl.
In early February, the World Health Organisation released a study pointing to evidence that young people are more susceptible to the H5N1 avian influenza virus and are more likely to die of it than older people. The report, examining the 256 confirmed bird flu cases in 10 countries from Nov. 25, 2003 to Nov. 24, 2006, showed that the death rate was highest among the below 20- age group.
The cases of 65 children under 10 and in the 10-19 age group were recorded. Of the 60 percent case fatality rate for all age groups, 44 percent was recorded for those under five years of age, 49 percent for 5 to 9-year-olds, and 76 percent for those in the 10-19 age group.
Outbreaks of the H5N1 strain in Thailand, the world's fourth largest poultry producer, have been occurring since 2004. In recent years, this avian flu strain has also been passed on from infected chickens and birds to human beings, raising fears of a possible pandemic. Seventeen people out of 25 human cases of avian flu have died from it in Thailand since 2004. Thirty Thai provinces have had outbreaks of avian flu from three years ago.
The message in the education material on bird flu is for young people to report dead poultry to proper authorities, to know that dead birds must be separated from healthy and live ones, to adopt frequent hand-washing and employ safe poultry cooking practices, explained Mark Thomas, UNICEF communications officer for Thailand.
Thirteen-year-old Thitima Kaowjang says she has seen the posters and is ready to follow the ministry of public health's instructions. "I am fully aware of the dangers of bird flu and the ways to prevent its spread such as frequent washing of the hands," she said.
"We made sure that these posters and pamphlets were simple and easy enough for any kid to understand," Thomas explained. The materials ranged from cartoon-type illustrations of children washing hands to photos of dead chicken.
At the same time there are other organisations engaged in promoting knowledge of the right information about avian flu.
"There were people who went to our school three times and taught us about bird flu," said 13-year-old Lin Tun, referring to World Vision staff who visited the Victoria Learning Centre in Ranong to train students about bird flu prevention.
A few schools in Bangkok, however, have yet to see a sign of these campaign materials.
"I've never read information about bird flu, nor have I been given advice on the issue in the school. But my students know about the issue as we've had discussions in class about it," said Nick James who teaches high school students at the ThewPaingarm school.
"There is a lack of basic information right now on what to do in case bird flu strikes. I'd probably recognise the symptoms (of the disease) but I wouldn't know how to prevent it. I don't even know what number to call," James explained.
Nantaporn Poungkaew, a teacher at Sri Satri Wittaya School, also has not seen any poster or pamphlet in the school. "But my students know very well about this and they talk and report about this in class. They can also get information from the Internet," said Nantaporn who has been teaching for almost 30 years.
She, however, noted the lack of bird flu information in the media. "Kids watch a lot of TV and it's a pity that they don't get necessary information about bird flu there," she said.
Apart from posters and pamphlets, UNICEF with the help of Thailand's ministry of education is looking at integrating bird flu awareness in school curricula. UNICEF's Katherine Imhof said that five kinds of curriculum have been designed for the kindergarten level.
Imhof says that 2.98 million posters and booklets have been distributed in schools nationwide. There are plans to develop material in languages such as Burmese and Karen in order to reach those living in refugee camps as well as migrant communities.
Among border communities, Thomas said that 10,500 pamphlets in the Burmese language and 5,500 posters in English, Karen and Burmese are being distributed. This is apart from the 30,000 health kits containing, among other things, 10 bars of soap, one washcloth, two nail clippers, four nail brushes. One household gets one kit.
Thomas said that word-of-mouth remains the most effective way to get children's attention to the perils of avian influenza. "It's kids communicating with kids that get the message across. They're encouraged to ask questions among themselves and they listen to their peers."
(*This story was written for the Avian Flu Series in the Mekong region, which appears on www.newsmekong.org. It is coordinated by IPS Asia-Pacific under its Imaging Our Mekong programme.)