As
yet another cold and hazy January morning dawns in Beijing and
people huddle behind buttoned-up collars, there is guarded optimism
in the air. In a few days, on January 29, the most important
holiday of the year is coming up: the Chinese New Year, or,
as it is traditionally called, the Spring Festival.
This is a time for travel, with millions of people on the move
to visit their families. This year, however, as the government
of China has addressed the avian influenza crisis as a major
threat to public health and security, concerns are growing that
this migratory pattern also might increase the risks of transmitting
the disease.
At the door to the office of the Red Cross Society of China
at 8 Beixinqiao Santiao Road, a clear message from a cartoon
figure on a green poster greets visitors: "Protect yourself
against bird flu!" it says. This is the public message
of a nationwide prevention campaign on avian influenza, undertaken
by the Red Cross Society of China and supported by the American
Red Cross, which started on January 21. This very first step
in a larger process of ensuring changes in behaviour, aims at
distributing 170,000 leaflets and 17,000 posters in 17 provinces,
including Beijing.
"People do have a right to know how to look after themselves
and how to take preventive measures," says Ramsey Rayyis,
American Red Cross country representative in China, as he unfolds
a leaflet where basic hygiene messages, like "wash your
hands" and "cook chicken meat and eggs thoroughly”,
are associated with information messages on how to deal (or
not) with sick poultry.
In China, however, distances are huge, a challenge which is
to be overcome through the Red Cross' network of nearly 3,000
branches which is very well positioned to disseminate prevention
messages and awareness materials.
"These volunteers and members also assisted the government
in the set up of quarantines in certain areas," says Mrs
Jiang Yiman, executive vice-president of the Red Cross Society
of China.
The Red Cross Society of China is also calling a conference
in late February or early March of its provincial branches as
well as representatives of the government and stakeholders such
as the World Health Organisation. The conference would standardise
public health messages and curricula.
Afterwards, Red Cross leaders would become focal points for
public education, spreading the agreed messages through their
local Red Cross networks with leaflets, posters, and other media.
Ultimately, the Red Cross aims to reach millions of people through
this nationwide campaign.
This is not the first time that the Red Cross Society of China
is undertaking a similar task. During the SARS (Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome) epidemic, the nationwide presence of the
Red Cross made it possible for volunteers and members to reach
out to a large number of people with preventive measures, such
as dissemination of information, production of booklets and
videos, and distribution of hygiene kits.
On January 17-18, donor countries met in Beijing. They pledged
$1.9 billion to support programmes to control the spread of
the H5N1 and prepare for a possible pandemic.
The conference, co-sponsored by the Chinese government, the
European Commission and the World Bank, came at a critical time,
when at least 148 human cases of infections of H5N1 infections
had been confirmed in Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia,
China and Turkey, resulting in 79 deaths according to the World
Health Organization. Additionally, the disease has prompted
culling of nearly 140 million domestic poultry.
"For the first time over the years, we have the occasion
to prevent a public health emergency well in advance. This is
an opportunity not to be missed”, said Markku Niskala,
secretary general of the International Federation of the Red
Cross and Red Crescent Societies. “We must remember that
it is less costly to prevent, prepare for and control avian
influenza than to handle a human pandemic,” he added.
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Red
Cross Society of China public campaign on bird flu."Protect
your self against bird flu!". (p13747)
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On
January 17-18, donor countries met in Beijing where an
important delegation from the Red Cross Red Crescent movement
were present including Markku Niskala, secretary general
of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red
Crescent Societies. (p13746)
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