Avian Influenza Local Risk Reduction Project

CARE Lao PDR has shaped its approaches to AI prevention and management around research, including a baseline knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) study in the project area, as well as ongoing KAP research into AI-related risk behaviours for poultry traders and collectors. These investigations have helped shape the growing AI programme at CARE and the largely interpersonal activities associated with CARE's initiatives, which include:

Training, which centrally involves the sharing of information through face-to-face exchanges. For example:

• a module-based training covering animal and public health with a specific focus on the involvement of women in avian flu awareness-raising and prevention;
• capacity-building sessions for village-level volunteer veterinary workers and health workers (women's union members are following up by disseminating information at the grassroots level), which focus on AI transmission and prevention in poultry and humans, basic surveillance and reporting, and how to run community-level awareness-raising events;
• participatory training of trainers (TOT) sessions on AI and communication skills for district-level staff, as part of an effort to enable them to share information about AI topics such as sources of infection, prevention techniques, biosafety, and human health implications; and
• marketplace training and awareness-raising activities for poultry traders in an effort to improve poultry handling practices and market biosafety.

Community-level activities, which frequently draw on the "edutainment" strategy to engage audiences of all ages. For example:

• meetings which are designed to equip the community with the knowledge and skills to take adequate precautions in both human hygiene and farming practices;
• community-level evening events involving communication of AI information, question-and-answer (Q&A) sessions about AI, AI games, and AI songs;
• demonstration of safe poultry preparation and cooking at local festivals; and
• distribution of information, education, and communication (IEC) packs containing street banners, posters illustrating risk behaviours, video compact disks (VCDs) of AI television ads and a documentary, CDs of radio spots, and AI folksongs and household booklets.

The following illustration highlights one CARE Laos community mobilisation programme in more depth: In response to the February 2007 AI outbreak in Sissattanack and Xaysetta districts in Vientiane Capital, the Vientiane CARE AI team began conducting participatory village-level activities in schools and temples. The goal was to contain the disease by informing communities about AI, explaining how they can reduce the risk of transmission, and detailing what they should do if their poultry or a family member gets sick. The team involves the community through a variety of activities using documentaries and short films, songs, Q&A sessions, and games. The AI mascot "Super Khai" ("Super Chicken") pays a visit to help present information regarding risk reduction and prevention behaviours. The team also distributes posters and booklets designed by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the Academy for Educational Development (AED) to the audience in an effort to help them gain a deeper understanding of what they have learned during the participatory activities.