sharon sanders
Editor-in-Chief & President
<TABLE width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD>FG, states urged to create awareness on Bird Flu scourge</TD></TR><TR><TD>http://www.thetidenews.com/repRec.aspx?qrName=? Sunday, Mar 4, 2007</TD></TR><TR><TD>
Federal and State governments have been called upon to create adequate awareness on the dangers associated w.ith Avian Influensa (Bird Flu).
The Project Officer, Enugu State Social Mobilisation Technical Committee (SOMTEC), Mr. Emma Nwobodo, made the call in his opening remarks at a one-day rally organised by the Enugu State Government in collaboration with United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) for civil society groups as part of mass awareness campaign on Avian Influenza in the state.
Mr. Nwobodo, also urged governments to do everything within their ability to check the spread of the dreaded disease, not only in Enugu state, but the entire country in general.
According to him, .statistics show that Nigeria, which is one of the Africa?s most populous nat1ons, has a poultry population of over 140 million out of which over 60 per cent are backyard farms.
?This again posed the challenge of reducing birds and man beings and for checking the spread of the disease. The situation is compounded by the fact that the level of awareness on the dangers associated with the disease is low?, he regretted.
Continuing, Mr. Nwobodo, further noted that more worrisome is the tendency of the disease, ?which is 75 per cent is airborne to spread and give rise to second scenario, which bird to human infection?, he added.
In Africa, he said, eleven people had died in Egypt, pointing out that it was globally estimated that over 56 persons had so far died of bird flu disease.
While maintaining that the symptoms of the disease of poultry birds, Mr. Nwobodo regretted that the effect can be very devastating as no vaccines has been discovered to control its spread among birds or human beings.
?It has become an issue with grave implications for Nigerian children and women. Children are at great risk because they handle birds more than adults?, he stressed.
The project officer, however, explained that the objective of the one-day rally of civil society organisations as part of mass awareness campaign on Avian Influensa was to promote public awareness on the dangers associated with the bird disease towards entrenching positive behavioural changes and adoption of basic hygiene and sanitation practices among the people.
He therefore revealed that sooner than later, ?we all embark on training of some local government staff to carry the message to the grassroots,? as the fight against the spread of avian influensa is a joint responsibility between the public and the government. In a speech, the World Health Organisation (WHO) Coordinator, Enugu State, Dr. Willy Onuorah, urged the people to always maintain a-clean environment to avoid any form of infection. Dr. Onuorah also advised them to report to the appropriate authorities any suspected case of the presence of avian influensa for prompt action.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
http://www.thetidenews.com/article....eness on Bird Flu scourge&qrColumn=SOUTH EAST
Federal and State governments have been called upon to create adequate awareness on the dangers associated w.ith Avian Influensa (Bird Flu).
The Project Officer, Enugu State Social Mobilisation Technical Committee (SOMTEC), Mr. Emma Nwobodo, made the call in his opening remarks at a one-day rally organised by the Enugu State Government in collaboration with United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) for civil society groups as part of mass awareness campaign on Avian Influenza in the state.
Mr. Nwobodo, also urged governments to do everything within their ability to check the spread of the dreaded disease, not only in Enugu state, but the entire country in general.
According to him, .statistics show that Nigeria, which is one of the Africa?s most populous nat1ons, has a poultry population of over 140 million out of which over 60 per cent are backyard farms.
?This again posed the challenge of reducing birds and man beings and for checking the spread of the disease. The situation is compounded by the fact that the level of awareness on the dangers associated with the disease is low?, he regretted.
Continuing, Mr. Nwobodo, further noted that more worrisome is the tendency of the disease, ?which is 75 per cent is airborne to spread and give rise to second scenario, which bird to human infection?, he added.
In Africa, he said, eleven people had died in Egypt, pointing out that it was globally estimated that over 56 persons had so far died of bird flu disease.
While maintaining that the symptoms of the disease of poultry birds, Mr. Nwobodo regretted that the effect can be very devastating as no vaccines has been discovered to control its spread among birds or human beings.
?It has become an issue with grave implications for Nigerian children and women. Children are at great risk because they handle birds more than adults?, he stressed.
The project officer, however, explained that the objective of the one-day rally of civil society organisations as part of mass awareness campaign on Avian Influensa was to promote public awareness on the dangers associated with the bird disease towards entrenching positive behavioural changes and adoption of basic hygiene and sanitation practices among the people.
He therefore revealed that sooner than later, ?we all embark on training of some local government staff to carry the message to the grassroots,? as the fight against the spread of avian influensa is a joint responsibility between the public and the government. In a speech, the World Health Organisation (WHO) Coordinator, Enugu State, Dr. Willy Onuorah, urged the people to always maintain a-clean environment to avoid any form of infection. Dr. Onuorah also advised them to report to the appropriate authorities any suspected case of the presence of avian influensa for prompt action.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
http://www.thetidenews.com/article....eness on Bird Flu scourge&qrColumn=SOUTH EAST