JAKARTA: Not content with the government’s public awareness campaign against bird flu, a group of parents in Bekasi regency has taken the initiative in educating the poor and the marginalised about the deadly disease.

“The government’s campaign against bird flu does not reach the people at the grassroots level,” said Rulie Bambang, head of the Jami’iyyah Communication Forum, an association of parents of some 8,000 children studying in ten prominent Al-Azhar Islamic schools in Bekasi, West Java province.

Earlier this month, the forum organised a talk show on avian influenza featuring Lula Kamal, a medical doctor and actress with the Indonesia National Committee for Avian Influenza Control and Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (Komnas FBPI). The audience included female members of the association, school drivers, students and teachers.

“We hope to share with our neighbours the knowledge that we have so that there would be no more bird flu deaths,” said Antari Loemaksono, one of the parents attending the talk show.

Before the four-hour talk show began at the school in Kemang Pratama, the audience watched the film titled, ‘Race against the Killer Flu.’ The film, in English, carried subtitles in the Bahasa Indonesia language.

The talk show addressed basic information about avian influenza. Kamal, for instance, explained to the audience that the H5NI is a highly pathogenic strain of the avian influenza virus, which causes disease in birds, and cats. In rare cases, she added, the virus can also spread to humans.

She also instructed the audience not to touch sick or dying poultry. If they do, they should immediately wash their hands with soap and seek medical help if they develop a fever with flu-like symptoms.

“Chicken and eggs are safe to eat, but should be cooked well,” she said, advising the audience to pass on the message to their maids and cooks. Kamal also described the clinical symptoms of the disease in birds and in humans.

In September 2006, the Indonesian government launched a four-month bird flu awareness campaign. Using television and radio spots, flyers and billboards, the campaign focused on four messages:

1) Do not touch sick or dying birds.

2) Wash hands and utensils with soap before eating or cooking.

3) Separate poultry from humans.

4) Go immediately to a health clinic in case fever with flu-like symptoms.

By inviting mostly mothers and school drivers to the talk show, the forum hoped that it would be able to help prevent the spread of avian influenza in the country. The Al-Azhar schools in Bekasi regency and municipality currently have around 100 drivers who pick up students in the morning and drop them home in the afternoon.

“Mothers can help disseminate information about bird flu prevention,” Rulie said. Members of her organisation hold a meeting every Wednesday to follow up on weekly social service programmes, including efforts to combat bird flu.

“After the talk show, we will orient garbage collectors and street vendors about bird flu. They are our first targets because they get in touch with a lot of people,” she said. —Dawn/The IPS News Service