IRC INVOLVES ON AVIAN FLU PANDEMIC PREVETION

Against Avian Influenza Campaign Since H5N1 bird flu attacked Hong Kong in 1997 and spreading fast around the world whilst taking so many casualties, Indonesian Red Cross (IRC) as humanitarian organization has been assisting Indonesian government to cope with bird flu cases in Indonesia. Five days after Indonesian government declared bird flu as Extraordinary Event in Indonesia, in 24 September 2005 IRC Chairman announced IRC participation by launching public awareness strategy, poultry infection prevention strategy, and assisting in surveillance strategy.

IRC Strategy

1. Public Awareness

Increasing community awareness with CIE (Communication, Information, Education) by distributing leaflet, door to door visit, and organizing interactive dialogue facilitated by IRC volunteers. Several group targets are:

sector 4 breeder (family who breeds poultry at home), homemaker, children, and public facility with minimum sanitation level (such as traditional market and bus station) Main activity of this campaign is forming task force on local and branch level, including training for volunteers to counseling the target group. The activity has run in 12 provinces, Banten, DKI Jakarta, West Java (especially Jabodetabek area), Central Java, East Java, Yogyakarta, Bali, Lampung, Jambi, South Sulawesi, North Sumatera, and East Kalimantan.

2. Bio Security

Virkon disinfectant spraying in poultry cage to prevent poultry to poultry virus infection. This activity has been done in Jabodetabek, South Sulawesi and another possibly infected area.

3. Community Based Surveillance Activity

In order to anticipate bird flu spreading, community can actively participate in virus diffusion surveillance. Whenever suspicious poultry death found, one can inform it to IRC volunteer who will pass the information all the way to the related body for further action and coordination. Activity within this step covering from training for village volunteer and subdistrict coordinator, coordinating with field PDS/PDR, and framing Bird Flu Emergency Response Plan for village.