Avian Influenza and the Pandemic Threat

Agencies’ Achievements (against outputs and activities indicated in the logframe)

5.1 Strategic communication for awareness and convergent messages on HPAI

58. A Task Force of the UN Communication Group was created to ensure consistent messaging for Avian Influenza and pandemic preparedness. Chaired by the UN Department of Information the Task Force membership includes all contributing agencies to the Consolidated Action Plan as well as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.

59. FAO and OIE, with the support of the United States Department of Agriculture, organized a roundtable event on animal health communication in April 2007 attended by 45 experts from UN agencies and senior representatives from national governments, academia, communication practitioners, private poultry sector, and the veterinary science profession. Follow-up to recommendations of this meeting include the development of a comprehensive communication action plan to address the animal health aspects of H5N1 transmission; creation of communication tools for immediate use and longer-term strategies to sustain political support and a positive social and behavioral change; and the establishment of an inter-agency, multi-disciplinary Technical Advisory Group on HPAI Communication to provide strategic guidance to partners and monitor progress. Outcomes from the communication roundtable were further elaborated and presented at the Technical Meeting in Rome (June 2007)  , which endorsed a series of specific recommendations on strategic communication and social mobilization. Additionally, FAO has developed and piloted some training materials on best practices for strengthening capacities of Ministries of Agriculture in outbreak and risk communication. FAO also conducted a series of joint missions in collaboration with WHO, OIE and the World Bank, to develop a methodology and process for the conduct of rapid country capacity assessments (including communication capacities) for the development of Integrated National Action Programmes on AHI (INAPs). OIE has started to deliver regional seminars on communication for Veterinary Services.

5.2 Social mobilization for awareness and behavior change

60. UNICEF forged inter-sectoral and inter-agency partnerships across 31 countries in Asia, Eastern Europe and Africa to develop a communication taskforce on avian and pandemic influenza and engaged in advocacy with some 40 governments leading to a national communication response to control HPAI in birds and H5N1 virus transmission in humans. It helped define, with FAO and WHO, the key behavioral outcomes (Report, Separate, Wash, Cook) to support the Avian Influenza control programmes.  These outcomes, together with suggested monitoring indicators were disseminated widely, but appear to have had limited use in national programmes. In December 2006 UNICEF, with WHO, held a meeting to define the key behaviors before and during a pandemic that would reduce spread of the virus and mitigate pandemic impact, regardless of availability and access to vaccines or anti-viral drugs. UNICEF has carried out research in over 20 countries to ascertain audience knowledge, attitudes and behaviors pertaining to avian and/or pandemic influenza. It supported counterparts in evidence-based planning and implementation of behavior change communication/social mobilization strategies and innovative approaches to avian and pandemic influenza response in various countries, such as participatory learning action (PLA). Since 2006 at least 40 exercises aimed at sensitizing and training national and international media to report on AI were rolled out globally. UNICEF developed a range of behavior change communication/social mobilization materials (print, audio, and TV) and tools that were shared globally through an internet resources centre  launched in December 2006 on behalf of the UN. The resource centre contains over 275 creative and planning materials from over 30 country and regional offices.  It includes Essentials for Excellence, an easy to use research, monitoring & evaluation guide on avian and/or pandemic influenza.

61. WFP country offices have helped UNICEF disseminate awareness messages through the delivery and distribution network. WFP also participated in inter-agency communication simulations at HQ level. UNHCR has been conducting awareness campaigns and trainings to encourage refugees and other populations of concern to the organization to adopt healthy AHI-related behaviors. IOM has held consultations with FAO, UNICEF and ministries of Health and Agriculture in Nigeria, Kenya and Thailand to develop appropriate awareness raising activities and information for migrant populations. Materials produced will be adapted for use in other countries.

62. ILO has hosted a technical workshop on Avian Flu and the Workplace, which brought together representatives from international organizations including, the International Organization of Employers, and two major trade unions.  The ILO Governing Body, at its 297th Session of November 2006, approved the report and conclusions of the workshop concluding that AHI preventive action involving workers rights, occupational safety and health are particularly relevant to ILO’s field of operations. Information campaigns is a key tool and the workplace can be enlisted as an important instrument to inform the employers, workers and the general public of precautionary measures and best practices . A wide range of workers from farm employees to government inspectors need training on how to best protect themselves and their families from contamination in the workplace and how to respond in the advent of a pandemic.  ILO is initiating a project for AHI increased awareness, enhanced information-sharing and closer adherence to occupational health and safety best practices at the workplace in some APEC member economies. It will conduct training seminars and develop tutorial materials on the promotion of sound preventive behavior and on care and support services in the workplace based on the existing ILO frameworks and Conventions relating to health and safety in the workplace. It will also launch a communication campaign for local communities, building upon the joint work conducted by APEC member economies on training SMEs to mitigate the spread of Avian Flu.  

63. UNWTO has been developing and implementing a targeted tourism specific communications strategy, focusing on the existing portal www.sos.travel developed with the assistance of Microsoft. This portal is enabling the wide and timely dissemination of information to travelers and the tourism sector. Targeted communications campaign will ensue to alert travelers worldwide. UNWTO has also established and is maintaining the Tourism Emergency Response Network (TERN)  to which it sends regular communication on issues of importance on AHI.  

Remaining gaps and challenges

64. Changing behavior through social mobilization is a long term challenge and involves sustained efforts and funding for the development of targeted messaging, sound dissemination mechanisms and well trained communication human resources. A specific challenge related to HPAI outbreaks is the economic incentives (e.g. loss of poultry) and lack of resources (e.g. water and soap) that prevent individuals adopting the key behaviors necessary to reduce risks. Experience so far indicates that more specific or in-country communication research is required to refine messages’ content and more assessments and technical support missions to improve in-country communication capacity of concerned ministries, especially Ministries of Agriculture. Building trust now will be vital for the rapidly changing responses that may be needed in a pandemic, when collective behaviors will determine how fast the virus spreads. Financial resources are too scarce so far to allow concerned agencies to fully address this challenge.  

65. The focus on pandemic preparedness continued to grow in importance as the international community came to realize how essential it is for all parts of society to be prepared for a major disaster such as a pandemic. At the Rome Meeting in June 2007 experts and donors agreed that more can and must be done in terms of pandemic preparedness globally and country-by-country. They also agreed that expanding pandemic preparedness beyond the health sector is necessary and requires more substantial funding than presently available for planning for humanitarian assistance in case of a Pandemic (also an area that requires special attention ). Generally, national programmes have paid less attention to the work of preparing for the economic, governance, societal and humanitarian impacts of a pandemic, despite the fact that preparedness actions in this regard would lead to significant reductions of these impacts, including mortality. 

66. In light of the above, support for national efforts is being carried forward by UN agencies, funds and programmes and their partners.These have revised, scaled up and further diversified their activities to be more responsive and readily available to continue working under pandemic conditions (WHO Alert Phases 5 and 6) as well as to assist countries to prepare and plan for responding to the pandemic and its impact, including humanitarian interventions when necessary. These changes are reflected in the revised outputs and activities of objectives 6 and 7 below and in the related revised funding requirements in the financial table of section IV.

67. The first issue of the UN System Consolidated Action Plan for AHI (3 July 2006) identified countries according to their needs and to the expectations from the international communities: i.e. countries with ‘strong implementation capacity’, ‘moderate implementation capacity’ or ‘restricted implementation capacity’. Within the context of objectives 6 and 7, the UN and its partners are focusing on, and prioritizing their support for, countries from the two latter groups. Most of these countries and particularly those with restricted capacities, are of humanitarian concern or will become quickly so when hit by a pandemic.  The UN and its partners can provide support by building on their on-going humanitarian operations and presence and drawing from lessons learned, especially when planning for containment. Added benefits come from the UN humanitarian reform process led by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) and the enhanced humanitarian coordination it is fostering.  However, a pandemic will very quickly overextend the capacity of international humanitarian actors. Disruptions to transport and supply networks will make it difficult to mobilize external resources. Therefore strengthening local capacity to cope is of paramount importance and the UN and its partners must endeavor to do so in collaboration with civil society and local actors.