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Source: http://old.thejakartapost.com/detailfeatures.asp?fileid=20081019.F06&irec=5
Students learn how to to tackle avian influenza
Triwik Kurniasari, The Jakarta Post, Banten
Within seconds of the teacher asking the question, small hands were waving in the air.
"Students, do any of you who know how to prevent yourself from getting from avian influenza? Raise your hand!" asked Sri Hidayati, a teacher at SDN Cipocok Jaya 1, a state elementary school in Serang, Banten.
Sri did not need to ask twice, as nearly all her five-grade students raised their hands, yelling, "Me! Me! Me, Ma'am!"
Like a celebrity trying to calm her fans, she said, "Calm down, students. One at a time, OK?"
She pointed at a girl with dark skin and a bob. "You first, Rania."
"First, we should wash our hands with running water and soap after playing outdoors or cooking and before and after meals," Rania Ari Puspita, 10, said confidently.
"Second, if we find a dead chicken, we should immediately bury it. Third, we should tell Pak RT (neighborhood community head) about the dead chicken," she added.
Sri praised Rania for her correct answers.
Learning the simple preventive measures for avian influenza has been part of the students' daily lessons at the school in the past year.
The students said the information was useful for them.
"The virus can make us ill. It can kill us, you know. But I'm not afraid because I always wash my hands before eating and stay away from chickens. I won't touch any chickens if they look sick or if they're dead," Rania said, adding, "I also tell my two-year-old sister to always wash her hands with soap before and after meals."
Rania's classmate Astried Naomi also learned the lesson well.
"Now I know it's a must to keep my hands clean. Our school has taps and soap in some spots around the grounds so we can wash our hands anytime," said Naomi.
"I'm also more careful in selecting food. I prefer to eat cooked eggs, instead of raw ones."
Sri said teachers tried to give the information in a fun way.
"We introduce the information about avian influenza into almost every subject. For instance, I can explain it in a class about animal organs," she said.
"I also ask them what they have for breakfast to remind them to always only eat cooked poultry-based food."
The lessons form part of a joint program conducted by Unicef (the United Nations Children's Fund) and the Banten administration.
The campaign is aimed at tackling the spread of avian influenza in the region.
Serang is considered a high-risk area, because it neighbors Tangerang, which the government declared a "red zone" for bird flu following the deaths of Iwan Siswara, an official at the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK), and his two young daughters in July 2005.
Bird flu or avian influenza is a poultry disease, but experts fear that the virus -- H5N1 -- could mutate and become able to be transmitted from human to human. The avian influenza death toll in Indonesia has reached 112, the highest in the world.
Serang has had cases of the virus in birds, but not yet in humans, according to Agus Suwandono from Unicef.
He said Unicef wanted to raise students' awareness of the disease.
"We want to make children start up basic hygienic practices, such as hand-washing, because poor sanitation is still a big problem in the region," said Agus.
"Poor sanitation is believed to be the major contributor to human deaths from the virus.
"So we teach the children to always keep their hands clean in the hope that they will later pass the information on to their families and friends. It is a lot easier to inform children than adults."
Agus was speaking during a visit, jointly hosted by Unicef and John Hopkins University, to two Banten schools -- SDN Cipocok Jaya 1 in Serang and Daar el-Falaahan, an Islamic boarding school in Pandeglang.
Seven delegates from Tajikistan also took part in the visit to take a look at how local teachers discussed avian influenza in their classrooms.
Indonesia has recorded a total of 137 confirmed bird-to-human infections, 112 of them fatal, since July 2005, when H5N1 was first found to attack humans.
In most human cases of avian influenza, the victims had been in direct contact with a sick or dead chicken.
The symptoms of avian influenza are similar to those of the common cold. There is no cure for the virus if it is not detected in time as it damages the lungs within a matter of days.
Basil A. Safi from John Hopkins University said the aim of the study excursion was to look at Indonesian experiences with handling bird flu during the past three years.
Unicef health and nutrition specialist, Kurbanov Sabir, said he was impressed with the students' knowledge about how to prevent avian influenza.
"Indonesia has gained a lot of experience in handling bird flu. We hope that we can implement the information back in our country," said Sabir.
"Although Tajikistan has yet to have a case of avian influenza, either in birds or humans, it is important for us to learn about the preventive measures of the disease because we are located near some countries, like Afghanistan, China and Pakistan, which have avian influenza cases."
Another Tajik delegate, Karimova Guliston, also gave credit to Indonesia's concern about the spread of the disease.
"Although I did not know the Indonesian language, I could see that the teachers delivered the messages in a great way. The children were active and looked smart," said Guliston.
For their part, the students were excited to welcome the Tajik delegates. They looked surprised when they were told the delegates wanted to learn from Indonesia.
"I'm glad there are foreigners who visit our school," Rania said with a smile.
"But do they really want to learn from us? Wow! That's great."
Students learn how to to tackle avian influenza
Triwik Kurniasari, The Jakarta Post, Banten
Within seconds of the teacher asking the question, small hands were waving in the air.
"Students, do any of you who know how to prevent yourself from getting from avian influenza? Raise your hand!" asked Sri Hidayati, a teacher at SDN Cipocok Jaya 1, a state elementary school in Serang, Banten.
Sri did not need to ask twice, as nearly all her five-grade students raised their hands, yelling, "Me! Me! Me, Ma'am!"
Like a celebrity trying to calm her fans, she said, "Calm down, students. One at a time, OK?"
She pointed at a girl with dark skin and a bob. "You first, Rania."
"First, we should wash our hands with running water and soap after playing outdoors or cooking and before and after meals," Rania Ari Puspita, 10, said confidently.
"Second, if we find a dead chicken, we should immediately bury it. Third, we should tell Pak RT (neighborhood community head) about the dead chicken," she added.
Sri praised Rania for her correct answers.
Learning the simple preventive measures for avian influenza has been part of the students' daily lessons at the school in the past year.
The students said the information was useful for them.
"The virus can make us ill. It can kill us, you know. But I'm not afraid because I always wash my hands before eating and stay away from chickens. I won't touch any chickens if they look sick or if they're dead," Rania said, adding, "I also tell my two-year-old sister to always wash her hands with soap before and after meals."
Rania's classmate Astried Naomi also learned the lesson well.
"Now I know it's a must to keep my hands clean. Our school has taps and soap in some spots around the grounds so we can wash our hands anytime," said Naomi.
"I'm also more careful in selecting food. I prefer to eat cooked eggs, instead of raw ones."
Sri said teachers tried to give the information in a fun way.
"We introduce the information about avian influenza into almost every subject. For instance, I can explain it in a class about animal organs," she said.
"I also ask them what they have for breakfast to remind them to always only eat cooked poultry-based food."
The lessons form part of a joint program conducted by Unicef (the United Nations Children's Fund) and the Banten administration.
The campaign is aimed at tackling the spread of avian influenza in the region.
Serang is considered a high-risk area, because it neighbors Tangerang, which the government declared a "red zone" for bird flu following the deaths of Iwan Siswara, an official at the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK), and his two young daughters in July 2005.
Bird flu or avian influenza is a poultry disease, but experts fear that the virus -- H5N1 -- could mutate and become able to be transmitted from human to human. The avian influenza death toll in Indonesia has reached 112, the highest in the world.
Serang has had cases of the virus in birds, but not yet in humans, according to Agus Suwandono from Unicef.
He said Unicef wanted to raise students' awareness of the disease.
"We want to make children start up basic hygienic practices, such as hand-washing, because poor sanitation is still a big problem in the region," said Agus.
"Poor sanitation is believed to be the major contributor to human deaths from the virus.
"So we teach the children to always keep their hands clean in the hope that they will later pass the information on to their families and friends. It is a lot easier to inform children than adults."
Agus was speaking during a visit, jointly hosted by Unicef and John Hopkins University, to two Banten schools -- SDN Cipocok Jaya 1 in Serang and Daar el-Falaahan, an Islamic boarding school in Pandeglang.
Seven delegates from Tajikistan also took part in the visit to take a look at how local teachers discussed avian influenza in their classrooms.
Indonesia has recorded a total of 137 confirmed bird-to-human infections, 112 of them fatal, since July 2005, when H5N1 was first found to attack humans.
In most human cases of avian influenza, the victims had been in direct contact with a sick or dead chicken.
The symptoms of avian influenza are similar to those of the common cold. There is no cure for the virus if it is not detected in time as it damages the lungs within a matter of days.
Basil A. Safi from John Hopkins University said the aim of the study excursion was to look at Indonesian experiences with handling bird flu during the past three years.
Unicef health and nutrition specialist, Kurbanov Sabir, said he was impressed with the students' knowledge about how to prevent avian influenza.
"Indonesia has gained a lot of experience in handling bird flu. We hope that we can implement the information back in our country," said Sabir.
"Although Tajikistan has yet to have a case of avian influenza, either in birds or humans, it is important for us to learn about the preventive measures of the disease because we are located near some countries, like Afghanistan, China and Pakistan, which have avian influenza cases."
Another Tajik delegate, Karimova Guliston, also gave credit to Indonesia's concern about the spread of the disease.
"Although I did not know the Indonesian language, I could see that the teachers delivered the messages in a great way. The children were active and looked smart," said Guliston.
For their part, the students were excited to welcome the Tajik delegates. They looked surprised when they were told the delegates wanted to learn from Indonesia.
"I'm glad there are foreigners who visit our school," Rania said with a smile.
"But do they really want to learn from us? Wow! That's great."