Afghanistan Alternative Livelihoods Project/Eastern Region (ALP/E)

Interpersonal communication efforts, complemented by mass media, have been central to ALP/E's awareness-raising activities. To launch the project, organisers held a 2-day training course, the goals of which were to: equip personnel in charge of Veterinary Field Units (VFUs) with basic knowledge about the etiology of the disease, clinical diagnosis, and measures for prevention and control; streamline surveillance, quarantine, and notification procedures; and involve VFU personnel in an awareness campaign in the rural areas. Specifically, participants included 70 veterinary care workers (including veterinarians, para-veterinarians, and livestock specialists) in charge of 35 VFUs, as well as 10 participants from the non-governmental organisation (NGO) community. After the completion of the training session (which took place in March 2006), participants were provided with protective clothing and accessories, pressure sprayers, disinfectants, and awareness materials, in addition to logistical support for the delivery of a minimum of 2 training courses in their districts.

This activity constitutes part of a broader initiative in support of the development of the poultry industry, by enabling government extension workers to provide adequate technical backstopping and rapid biosafety response. According to USAID, the event was "extensively covered by written media, TV and radio".

Natural Resource Management, Economic Development, Health.

USAID indicates that commercial poultry production is a growing industry in Eastern Afghanistan; for instance, backyard poultry production involves some 2.5 million birds. However, USAID has found through research that this production process takes place under scavenging systems and generally without proper access to veterinary services and supplies. "Based on the relative importance of the poultry industry in terms of market potential and economic development, the implications of a possible avian influenza epidemic in Eastern Region are of dire concern, especially considering challenges associated with containing the disease in an environment characterized by informal trade of live animals, geographic dispersion of poultry production and limited resources for surveillance and eradication."