Bird Flu Public Service Announcement (PSA)

This initiative draws on the power and influence of celebrity to communicate a timely health-related message in a situation of a potential pandemic. The PSA aims to harness the popularity of comedic actor Jackie Chan to reach the maximum number of households with a serious message. It will be broadcast on television - "the world's biggest mass medium" - as widely as possible, around the world.

While the PSA deals with a disease that often incites fear, it aims to increase awareness about bird flu not by creating alarm and panic but, rather, by encouraging children to be alert and careful. During the PSA, Chan, who is also a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, is pictured with 6 children and various origami birds. Chan and the children sit at a table where they laugh and talk while making and playing with the brightly coloured paper birds. In amongst the casual banter, Chan tells the girls and boys in a firm tone that "Some birds can pass on a horrible new disease called bird flu. If we are in contact with these sick birds, we can get very ill", encouraging them to stay away from sick and dead birds, especially chickens. He then nods approvingly as 8-year-old Ava pipes out: "But playing with paper birds is fine." (One may view the PSA by clicking here - or by clicking here and then selecting "watch the video" within the "Related Links" box on the right navigation bar.)

The children in the PSA, ranging in age from 6 to 9, were filmed at Sha Tin Junior School in Hong Kong. Hailing from different parts of the globe, all 6 of them were given a quick course in the art of origami making prior to the filming.

Health, Children.

According to organisers, as of August 16 2006, there were more than 230 human cases of influenza caused by the H5N1 virus, over half of which were fatal. The majority of deaths have been in Asia. "All evidence to date indicates that close contact with sick or dead birds is the principal source of human infection with the H5N1 virus."